The Last of the Couslands
by QueenTheirins
Summary: All Bridget Cousland wanted was to be a warrior. She got her wish, though it was far from how she wanted it. This is her journey. She is all that is left of the Cousland legacy...and has made it her personal goal to make sure no one ever forgets them.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The sun was extremely bright one particular morning as Bridget Cousland attacked the wooden dummy her brother had set up for her. Bridget wiped her forearm against her face to keep the sweat from seeping into her eyes. Her long hair that her mother said resembled "strings of gold" was pulled back into a ponytail, but it was mostly loose now. She was a very sprightly child of twelve and dreamt of becoming a skilled warrior, much to her mother's disapproval, as well as others. Since Bridget was the only daughter of the Teyrn of Highever, she was expected to act the lady. Bridget never showed any particular interest in being the "pampered pup" as her father, Bryce called her. Instead she was greatly interested in combat tactics and political problems. Ever since she was old enough to say the word, Bridget had always wanted a sword of her own. She wanted to be like her father, to be on the battle field in great danger defending her home land from those that wished to threaten it. All of her so called 'friends' thought she was completely mad for wishing this when she could live the lavish life of being a Teyrn's daughter and never having to lift a finger for herself. Bridget knew it was pointless to explain to them, so she chose not too.

"I think you've beat all the straw out of it, sister."

Bridget turned to see her older brother, Fergus walking towards her. He was a strong lad five years her senior and already quite the skilled fighter. His dark hair was also pulled back into a ponytail, though his was short in comparison to his sister's. Bridget also noticed that he had tied a red ribbon around it. She smiled to herself knowing exactly who had given it to him. Fergus could deny it all he wanted, but Bridget knew that he was quite taken with the ambassador's daughter. She was from Antiva, which Bridget knew enthralled her brother even more. He had always been a sucker for accents. Deciding to bring that up later, she returned to the task at hand and asked,

"What do you mean?"

Fergus raised his eyebrows.

"Take a look at that poor dummy and tell me what you think." He chuckled.

Bridget turned and laughed. She had indeed practically destroyed it. She turned back to Fergus as he stood next to her.

"You must not be quite so brutal, lest you tire yourself."

Bridget shrugged.

"I defeated it though, didn't I?" she asked.

Fergus nodded.

"Well, yes you did but keep in mind that a real foe will not stand in front of you and do nothing. You must pace yourself in a real battle. If you waste all your energy pillaging one foe…you will not be able to do the same against others."

Bridget frowned.

"Well I know that, Fergus but it's not like I have an actual person to spar with. I've asked all the other soldiers and they just laughed at me!" she exclaimed.

Fergus threw his head back and laughed.

"My dear sister, you are only twelve years old, everyone else here is a full grown adult, of course they would say no! They'd be persecuted if they gave you so much as a scratch!" he exclaimed.

Bridget's eyes widened as she came up with a plan.

"Well…you are not an adult yet, brother. Why don't you spar with me?

Fergus looked at her as if she had grown an extra limb.

"Did you really just ask me that?"

Bridget quirked an eyebrow.

"Why not, afraid I'll be better than you?"

Fergus threw his head back and laughed. Bridget crossed her arms and let him have his moment for she knew he would be completely blindsided by what she was going to tell him next.

"Oh dear sister," Fergus began after he finally calmed himself down, "I assure you, you will _not_ be a better fighter than me. I am sparing you from embarrassment by saying no."

He turned to leave, but Bridget said,

"If you don't, I'll tell Mum that you knocked boots with Oriana."

Fergus stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened and he slowly turned around to look at her.

"How do you know about that?" he asked.

Bridget gaped at him.

"Wow you actually _did_? And here I was just bluffing, thanks for the confession!" she exclaimed.

Fergus felt heat rush to his face.

"No, no you can't tell her, she'd be furious with me!" he stated.

Bridget grinned devilishly and crossed her arms.

"Exactly. So now you have two choices. Spar with me, and I forget everything you just told me. Leave and I'll tell Mum _everything_."

Fergus heaved a heavy sigh and looked around. There was no way his mother could find out about Oriana and himself. His mother would kill him! He also feared what she would think if she knew he was about to spar with her! However, he did believe that she would forgive the sparing session far more easily than the…ahem…Oriana session. Fergus looked back down at Bridget and cursed under his breath. She was looking at him with those big blue eyes. It was impossible to say no to her when she had those puppy dog eyes. Fergus now understood why their father always called her 'pup' now.

"Please Fergus?" she asked.

Fergus sighed.

"Oh alright. You better keep your end of the bargain."

Bridget grinned and raised her 'sword'. Fergus picked up a nearby branch seeing as how he didn't have a fake sword anymore (as Bridget had now claimed his old one). Bridget gripped the handle of her sword and, before Fergus even had a chance to turn around, charged at him, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey! Hey, ow, you can't do that Bridget, that's not fair!" he exclaimed.

Fergus pushed her off of him and pulled her ponytail.

"Ow Fergus! That was my hair!" she exclaimed.

"And what exactly are you two up to?"

Bridget and Fergus both turned to see their father, Bryce standing with his good friend, Rendon Howe, the Arl of Amaranthine. Bridget and Fergus looked at each other and then commenced into more hair pulling and punching.

"Alright now, stop it, the both of you."

Bryce walked over and picked up Bridget as she still did not let up on Fergus.

"But Papa, Fergus was teaching me how to be a warrior like you!" she exclaimed.

Bryce laughed as did Howe.

"Well my dear daughter, you may become a warrior, but you are a bit young for it now, don't you think?"

Howe shook his head.

"I don't think so, Bryce. She appears to be very strong for her age, plus she has the will and want to learn. I would say why not? Best to train them whilst they are still young."

Bryce looked at him.

"Oh I very much agree with you, Howe. My wife however, has different plans for her."

Bridget grumbled something un-audible under her breath. Bryce looked at the broken practice dummy and raised his eyebrows.

"She would make a great warrior though, that is no question. I'm sure I can convince Eleanor to drop her want for her to be a pampered princess. But it would take a lot of convincing."

"I'm still here, Father." Bridget reminded him.

He chuckled and patted her on her head.

"Of course you are. Well you best get Nan to wash you up before your mother catches sight of you. I suppose its back to business for us then."

He turned with Howe and began walking back to the estate. Fergus brushed some of the dirt off of him and looked at his younger sister.

"You're definitely ruthless, I'll give you that. I agree with father though, your place isn't here at home greeting ambassadors and other guests. It's out here, in the open defending Fereldon to the last man."

Bridget smiled at her brother and hugged him.

"Thank you, Fergus. I'm sorry for attacking you off guard. And for threatening to blackmail you."

Fergus laughed.

"Don't be, that's actually an advantage sometimes, the attacking off guard part anyway. So we can just pretend the Oriana conversation never happened?

Bridget nodded. Fergus sighed in relief.

"Good. Well, I guess I should be off too, see you later, sister."

Bridget watched as Fergus walked off. Her mabari pup, Zeus came trotting up to her and brushed his head up against her hand. Bridget smiled and petted him.

"Guess I should get cleaned up like Papa suggested. I wish Mama would let me fight, it's all I want to do."

Although Bridget did not know now, but she would get to fight and defend Fereldon just as Fergus said she would.


	2. Chapter 1: Castle Cousland

Chapter 1

Castle Cousland

Bridget lay half asleep in her bed with Zeus at its foot. Today marked her twentieth birthday, as well as the day her brother and father would head off to Ostagar to aid King Cailan against the Darkspawn. After countless nights of sneaking out of her room to listen to her father and brother, Bridget had deduced that Fereldon was about to suffer a Blight. Although neither Bryce nor Fergus directly stated it was, they always hinted at the possibility. She assumed nobody ever stated that it was a true Blight was because the thought of it was just horrible. It would throw the citizens of Fereldon into quite a squander that was for sure. Bridget had tried so hard to convince her father to let her go with them, but alas she always received the same answer. She honestly didn't understand what the point was of her being a warrior since she was not allowed to go and fight anywhere. It annoyed her to no end when everyone complimented her on how wonderful she fought but then when she asked them if she could join them in a real battle, they said she was too "inexperienced." Bridget grimaced and groaned when a wave of sunlight flooded into her room and onto her face.

"Come on girl, up you go!" Nan shouted.

Bridget frowned and pulled a pillow over her face.

"Nan, five more minutes?" she whimpered.

Without Bridget even looking at her she knew that Nan had placed her hands on her hips.

"Do you really believe you'll be able to get to sleep in five minutes, girl? Now get up, come now I have to get you washed and dressed quickly so that I may return to the kitchen. There are over fifty men here today and they'll all be hungry!"

Bridget sighed and removed her pillow. She sat up and yawned, stretching her arms out at her side. The sunlight that seeped in through the window warmed Bridget's face and caused her already golden hair to gleam ever more. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and followed Nan into the adjacent washroom.

"Oh and by the way," Nan began as she turned to face Bridget.

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" she asked.

Nan smiled and withdrew a box of cookies from her apron pocket.

"I've baked your favorite cookies, just for you since today is your birthday."

Bridget took the box of cookies from Nan and threw her arms around the old woman.

"Thank you so much, Nan! You know how I love these!"

Nan rolled her eyes but smiled regardless and hugged her back.

"Yes of course I do, they always seem to disappear whenever I bake them and you always seem to have a great interest in hanging about the kitchen when I do. Come now; let's not stray from the task at hand."

She turned to the water basin and began to fill it with water from buckets Bridget guessed she had the elves bring up before Nan woke her up. Nan placed some soap on the edge and turned to look at Bridget.

"Alright, now once you've finished here your father wishes to speak with you, he's in the Main Hall."

"Got it, thanks Nan." Bridget replied as she popped a cookie in her mouth.

Nan walked out of the room, closing the door behind her and shooing Zeus out of her way. Bridget removed her gown and sat in the basin. She washed up and soon enough was standing in her normal attire which consisted of some light armor. After strapping her sword and shield to her back, Bridget sat on the edge of her bed and laced her boots. She then checked her reflection in the mirror. Her mother would not be pleased if she did not put just a bit of makeup on, so Bridget commenced into lining her eyes with kohl and applying blush to her cheeks. After that she exited her room and made her way down to Main Hall. Nan wasn't joking, Bryce's soldiers lined the halls and waved and greeted her as she passed. Bridget heard her father's voice in the distance and picked up pace finally walking through the door to see the Main Hall also filled with soldiers. Her father grinned when he saw her and addressed her.

"Ah there you are pup. You remember Arl Rendon Howe?"

Bridget smiled and bowed politely to the Arl of Amaranthine. Howe smiled at her.

"Your daughter has grown into a fine young woman, Bryce. Happy Birthday my dear. My son sends his regards as well…"

Bridget forced a smile. For the past five years Howe had been trying to set his son up with her. Bridget politely refused the offer as nicely as she possibly could always stating that his son was quite a few years younger than she, which was true. Now however, Bridget was getting a little tired of the topic. She opted to ignore Howe's remark about his son completely.

"Thank you. Nan said you wished to see me Father?"

Bryce nodded.

"Indeed. I need you to seek out your brother and tell him that I will march out to Ostagar tomorrow instead of tonight."

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Why the change of plans?" she asked slowly.

Howe cleared his throat.

"It is my fault my lady. My soldiers were set back by a sudden Darkspawn attack and will not arrive until morning. Your father has graciously offered to stay behind and march with my men and me."

Bridget looked at her father.

"You still want Fergus to go tonight though?"

Bryce nodded.

"Yes, you know how fast he can ride. He will reach Ostagar and inform the king of our setback."

Bridget saw this as a good chance to mention joining her brother.

"Well, shouldn't someone go with him, you know…to make sure he gets there safely?"

Bryce and Howe both chuckled. Bryce placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders and looked at her.

"I know my dear Bridget that you wish to fight with us but trust me, you are much safer here. I do not want you out there, not yet when you are still so young. Your brother is quite formidable and can handle himself. He will be taking some guards with him; the others will stay behind and march with Howe's men tomorrow with us."

"You could send all your men tonight with Fergus, if you wished, Bryce. If you do that, at least King Cailan will have one formidable army with him already at Ostagar."

Bryce chuckled and turned to Howe.

"Nonsense. We march together, my friend."

Bridget glanced at Howe and thought she saw a flicker of anger cross his face, but before she could inquire, a bearded man approached them. Bryce turned and shook the man's hand.

"Ah Duncan, it is good to see you. Find any good recruits amongst my men?" he asked.

Duncan smiled.

"Thank you for letting me come, Bryce. I have seen a few…"

He turned his head and his dark eyes landed on Bridget.

"Is this your daughter, Bryce?"

Bryce nodded. Duncan held out his hand.

"I thought as much, she looks just like Eleanor. A pleasure to meet you, I am Duncan, Senior Grey Warden."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"You're a Grey Warden?" she asked.

Throughout her childhood, Nan had always told stories of the Grey Wardens to Bridget. Their amazing feats and remarkable talents and renown had always sparked an interest in the young Cousland. Now that she was in the presence of one, Bridget felt very honored. So much so that she bowed.

"It is an honor to be in your presence." She said.

Bridget knew it was impossible to remain formal and immediately broke out into a rant.

"I've heard so many stories growing up! Is it really as glorious as they say? Is an Arch Demon as fierce and frightening as the legends describe it?"

Howe smirked.

"Why Bryce, I thought your daughter was turning twenty today? She sounds not a day over seven!" he exclaimed.

Bridget narrowed her eyes at him, but turned her attention back to Duncan.

Duncan chuckled.

"Well I am very honored that you regard the Grey Wardens with such enthusiasm. I am actually looking for some new recruits. You know Bryce, your daughter here would make a very formidable,"

Bryce shook his head.

"Absolutely not. She is far too young; I will not stand for that."

Duncan nodded.

"Very well."

Bridget frowned.

"But father,"

Bryce shook his head.

"No, pup. Now please fetch your brother." Bryce stated.

Bridget sighed. She was quite sure Duncan had only said that to make her feel good and not really meant it. If she wasn't allowed to even go out on the battle field, Andraste forbid she actually become a Grey Warden!

Duncan smiled.

"If you happen to run into Ser Gilmore along the way, can you please tell him that I am looking for him? I believe he will make a fine recruit."

Bridget nodded and bid farewell to them all. She turned and decided to search for Fergus first. Bridget had a feeling he would be with his wife and son. She began to walk down the outside halls; the slight chill that autumn brought clung to her skin and drifted through her hair.

"My lady! There you are!"

Bridget turned to see Ser Gilmore approaching her.

"I'm glad I found you, there's some trouble in the kitchen that only you can fix."

Bridget raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

"I'm afraid the only way I could be of use in the kitchen is if Nan made too many cookies and needed help in disposing of them."

Gilmore laughed and shook his head.

"If only it were that easy. No, your dog has gotten into the larder again and Nan is having a fit."

Bridget frowned and sighed.

"Great…and Nan was in such a good mood already this morning."

Gilmore laughed again and beckoned for Bridget to follow him. Knowing that she would not get to Fergus unless this was taken care of first, she followed.

"Actually, I'm glad you ran into me, I have a message for you." Bridge said.

Gilmore looked at her.

"Oh? From whom?" he asked.

"The Grey Warden, Duncan wishes to meet with you, he is seeking new recruits."

Gilmore stopped walking and gaped at her.

"Really?" he asked.

Bridget smiled halfheartedly and nodded.

"Yep, he wants to speak with you."

Gilmore grinned.

"Excellent, I'll head there after we take care of the larder problem."

Bridget and Gilmore stood outside the kitchen entrance and entered to find a very angry Nan shouting at the elf servants. She turned and looked at the two new arrivals and set about to nag their ears off instead.

"There you are, get that damned dog of yours out of my larder! I can't cook like this!" she shouted.

Bridget giggled and made her way to the larder.

"Oh relax Nan, he's just a dog, he's bound to get into things that he shouldn't."

She opened the larder and poked her head inside. Sure enough, Zeus was inside running back and forth and barking.

"What is it boy?" Bridget asked him as she stepped inside the larder with Gilmore behind her.

Zeus walked over to a rather large hole and growled. Bridget withdrew her sword that was strapped to her back.

"Gilmore…" she said uneasily.

Before he could respond, five large rats emerged from the hole and set about to biting their feet. Luckily they couldn't bite through shoes and Bridget killed them quickly. When no more rats emerged, she walked back out of the larder and explained everything to Nan, who of course did not believe her and cursed poor Zeus anyway. Bridget and Gilmore left the kitchen with Zeus and headed back outside.

"Well I should be off to see what Duncan wants. See you soon, Bridget."

Bridget nodded and watched him walk off. Now that that was over with, she could go to Fergus without anymore interruptions, or so she thought because as she rounded the corner, Bridget ran into her mother and three other people. Eleanor smiled and held out her hand to her daughter. Bridget took it and smiled.

"Hello, Mother."

"Ah my daughter, you remember Lady Landra do you not?" Eleanor said as she looked at the woman she was standing with. Lady Landra was a good friend to the Couslands, her husband being one of Bryce's most trusted allies.

Lady Landra smiled sweetly at Bridget.

"Happy birthday my dear, you have not forgotten my son, Darrien?"

Bridget turned to see the tall and awkward man that was Darrien. His bright red hair looked as if it were gleaming orange in the sun. She smiled politely at him but now knew that she must get away quickly to Fergus. Eleanor had been trying to get Bridget into a relationship with Darrien for the longest time, but Bridget always vehemently refused. She had to get away, and fast because Darrien had quite an aptitude for chatting and not knowing when to stop. Before he could even open his mouth to say anything, Bridget asked,

"Do you know where Fergus is, Mother? Father has asked me to look for him."

Eleanor nodded.

"Ah yes, he is with Oriana and Orhen. We will speak later, my dear."

Bridget bid farewell and walked away as quickly as her legs would take her without breaking out into a run. Darrien had always liked her…but he was too strange for Bridget's taste. Not to mention his breath smelled like a nug that had been rolling around in a pile of mud. Bridget reached Fergus's room and knocked lightly before entering. Bridget smiled as her nephew, Orhen ran up to her to give her a hug.

"Auntie Bridget! Will you teach me how to be a warrior like you? Mum won't let me learn, but I want to be like Papa!" he exclaimed.

Fergus emerged from the corner chuckling loudly followed by Oriana.

"I am trying to teach him principles of kindness…he does not have to wield a sword just yet." She said defensively in her rich Antivan accent..

Bridget tsked and patted Orhen on his head.

"Sorry Sweets (as she often called him since they both shared a love for candies and pastries), if your mum doesn't want you to learn yet then I can't teach you."

Orhen frowned and grumbled something under his breath before returning to stand next to Fergus.

"I am sorry father will not let you accompany us, my sister. I tried my hardest to persuade him…but you know father…"

Bridget sighed and nodded.

"Oh well, next time for me I suppose. Speaking of father, he won't be accompanying you tonight."

Fergus looked at her.

"Why not?" he asked.

Bridget explained everything that she had been told earlier. Fergus nodded.

"Very well, I should get ready to leave then." He stated.

Oriana placed her hand in his and frowned.

"Please be careful, my husband." She whispered before kissing him.

Orhen walked up to him and hugged him tightly.

"I'll miss you, Papa."

"He will be fine my grandson, do not worry."

Bridget turned to see Bryce and Eleanor enter the room. Bryce patted Fergus on his back.

"He is a good warrior, your father."

Fergus smiled and hugged his father and mother. He then turned to Bridget and embraced her tightly.

"Try not to get into trouble whilst I'm away. I'm leaving you to guard the fort here."

Orhen nodded.

"That's right! Auntie Bridget is going to look after me and mummy while Papa is away!"

Bridget chuckled and ruffled Orhen's hair before hugging her brother back.

"Come back in one piece, Fergus lest I make crude jokes about missing limbs for the rest of your life."

Fergus laughed and pulled away.

"That's my sister, always joking till the end. Right then, I'll set off immediately. I'll see you there, tomorrow, Father."

Bryce nodded. Bridget watched as Fergus left the room.

"Be safe, my brother. Be strong."

The rest of the day continued to dwindle away. Once again Bridget was forced to stay home while everyone else got to test their blade against their enemies. How she longed to join them…but apparently she was "too weak" and "inexperienced". As night fall fell and the deep velvet of night swallowed up the bright blue of day, Bridget lay in her bed and drifted off to sleep, completely unaware that she would indeed get to fight in a battle, right here in her very own home.


	3. Chapter 2: The Arl's Betrayal

Chapter 2

The Arl's Betrayal

It was dark and quiet, even the air was still. Bridget lay sound asleep in her room completely unaware of what was taking place outside. Zeus lay curled up at the edge of her bed. His ear suddenly shot up as he heard a clanging noise in the distance. Zeus lifted his head and yawned, jumping off of the bed and trotting over to the door. There was another clanging noise and then shouting. Zeus pressed his nose against the bottom of the door and began to sniff. Blood. He smelled blood. Zeus automatically began to bark loudly and frantically. Bridget woke up immediately at his barking and got out of bed.

"Zeus? What's wrong?"

Before she could approach him, her door flew open and two intruders ran into her room. Bridget quickly grabbed her sword and began to fight with one of them while Zeus took care of another. Once they were both disposed of, Bridget immediately dressed herself and ran out into the hall. Bridget could hear screams echoing throughout the halls mixed with the sounds of metal and steel coming into contact with each other.

"Bridget!"

She turned to see her mother running towards her.

"Mother! What's going on?"

Eleanor stopped and caught her breath, her eyes narrowing.

"We've been betrayed by Howe. These are his guards, I recognize the symbol emblazoned on their shields."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"These are his troops that were 'late'. The traitor!"

Eleanor nodded.

"We must find your father. Half of our men are in Ostagar, I'm not sure how long we can last."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"Orhen and Oriana!"

Before her mother could say anything else, Bridget broke out into a run towards Fergus's room. She threw open the door and screamed. Orhen and Oriana both lay in front of the cackling fireplace, blood seeping from their bodies. Eleanor grabbed Bridget's hand.

"We must find your father!"

Bridget ran with her mother towards the Main Hall with Zeus at her heels. They slaughtered any guard they saw along the way. Bridget was drenched in blood, but none of it was her own. Upon entering the Main Hall, Ser Gilmore and only two other Cousland guards were up against ten of Howe's men. Bridget, Eleanor and Zeus immediately began fighting along with them. Bridget showed no mercy. These men…Howe…they were responsible for the deaths of her nephew and Oriana. And Fergus…how would she ever explain what had happened to him. He trusted her to look after them and she had failed. Bridget thrust her sword into Howe's mage and pulled it out, showering the floor in his blood.

"Gilmore thank the Maker you're alright. Have you seen Bryce?" Eleanor asked.

Gilmore nodded and withdrew a key.

"He went towards the kitchen, I believe he's somewhere there." He stated.

Eleanor took the key from him and she and Bridget ran to the kitchen next. Eleanor threw open the door and used the key on the larder. She, Bridget and Zeus stepped inside to find Bryce covered in blood and gravely injured. Bridget's lip quivered as she and Eleanor ran to his side.

"Father!"

Bryce coughed.

"Howe…he…betrayed us! Why would he do such a thing?"

Eleanor shook her head and cradled her husband in her arms.

"He was planning this the entire time…" she said sadly.

The larder door swung open and Bridget turned around, swinging her blade on impulse. Duncan quickly blocked her move.

"Oh, Duncan thank the Maker!" Eleanor exclaimed.

Bridget returned her attentions back to her father.

"We must get you out of here father, we have to heal your injuries, come on we can get out of the servants entrance."

Bryce shook his head as he continued to cough up more blood.

"No…I will not make it. Duncan…take Eleanor and Bridget to Ostagar. Take them away from here…"

Bridget's eyes widened.

"What? No! No I'm not leaving you here father!" she shouted.

Duncan sighed.

"Are you sure, Bryce?" he asked.

Bryce nodded. Eleanor looked at Duncan.

"I will be of no use to you in Ostagar, Duncan. Take Bridget and Zeus and go, I will stay here with my husband."

She turned back to Bryce and squeezed his hand.

"Until the very end."

Bridget hugged her mother and father.

"No! If we are to die here then we are all going to die together!"

Bryce grimaced and winced.

"No my daughter, listen to me."

Bridget turned to him as he cupped her face in his hands.

"You have always wanted to prove yourself in battle and I have always held you back. This is your chance, Bridget. Fight and live for us…you are a Cousland…make me proud."

Bridget sniffled as tears poured from her eyes.

"But…"

A crashing was heard as the front gate had been destroyed. Bridget heard several footsteps. Duncan stood and pulled her up by her shoulders.

"Come, we must leave now!"

Bridget squirmed against him.

"No! No, mother, father!"

Bridget last remembered seeing her mother and father saying that they loved her…and nothing more. Her body went limp in Duncan's arms.

"She has fainted!"

Bryce coughed again.

"Take her now while she is unconscious. Get her out of here Duncan and make sure you are not seen!"

Duncan nodded, threw Bridget over his shoulder and hurried out of the servant's entrance with Zeus bringing up the rear. Duncan carried her into the woods where his horse was waiting for him. Duncan gently lowered Bridget to the ground and whistled. Duncan's messenger bird flew down from the trees. He quickly scribbled a note and tied it to the bird's foot.

"Take this to Alistair." He stated.

The bird tweeted in compliance and took off. Duncan then turned back to Bridget and placed her atop his horse before climbing on him himself. He thrashed the reigns and together they took off, along with Zeus keeping pace next to them. Duncan was sure with as fast as he was riding they could make it to Ostagar by sunrise the latest. He looked down at Bridget and sighed hoping she would awake soon…but had a feeling that only the healers would be able to coax her into waking up. The poor girl was probably in shock. Duncan thrashed the reigns to his horse and kicked into a higher speed hoping that he could reach Ostagar as soon as possible.


	4. Chapter 3: The Arrival at Ostagar

Chapter 3

The Arrival at Ostagar

Alistair paced back and forth in the camp at Ostagar. He clutched Duncan's letter in his hand and read it over and over again. How could Duncan possibly believe that recruiting a _noble_ was a good idea? Alistair guessed that was what his letter was about, it was hard to make out as Duncan had written it in such a hurry but it said:

_I've a new recruit from Highever who is a noble. Long story, will tell you when I arrive at camp._

Alistair was hoping he would arrive sooner rather than later. He had so many questions…

"Duncan!"

Alistair turned and followed one of the other soldiers that had spotted him in the distance. He was shocked to see him covered in blood. Alistair furrowed his brow when he saw a woman who was also covered in blood. What was most odd was that this blood was not like Darkspawn blood. This was human blood. He looked again at the woman and noticed that she looked like she were asleep.

"Alistair, take her please."

Alistair did as Duncan asked him and lifted the woman into his arms. Alistair blinked as he stared down at her. Despite the fact that she was covered in blood, the woman was beautiful no doubt…but who was she and why was she with Duncan? More importantly, where was the new recruit Duncan had mentioned in his letter? He jumped down from his horse and beckoned for Alistair to follow him.

"Come Alistair, we must take her to the healers."

Alistair followed Duncan and promptly began to ask questions.

"Who is this? Where is the new recruit and why a noble of all people?"

Duncan turned sharply and looked at Alistair.

"I will answer your questions in a moment, right now we need to leave her in the care of the healers."

Duncan turned and entered a tent where three mages sat. One of them was an older woman with silver white hair and kind blue eyes. She stood immediately as Duncan approached her.

"Maker preserve us…what has happened?"

Duncan moved out of the way for Alistair to place the woman on a small cot.

"It is a long story, Wynne. She has fainted from shock…can you bring her back to us?"

Wynne nodded.

"Yes, I will clean her up as well. I will retrieve you when she has come to."

Duncan nodded graciously.

"Thank you, Wynne. Come Alistair, we need to speak in private."

Alistair obligingly followed Duncan outside of the healer's tent and away from the others. Duncan turned to look at Alistair and sighed.

"The woman that I have brought with me is the new recruit. Her name is Bridget Cousland. Before you say anything I suggest you rethink your prejudices. Not all nobles are alike, Alistair and Bridget is quite the exception. Her family was murdered tonight; one of their very good friends betrayed them. She is in shock from the recent events…that is why Wynne is with her now."

Alistair's eyes widened. He looked at his feet and sighed. He felt so stupid for thinking that just because the new recruit was a noble didn't mean that they would be stuck up and snotty.

"Bridget is a very formidable fighter and can hold her own against at least three enemies at a time. I believe she is a strong and cunning woman. If any make it through the joining…it will be her. I have business to discuss with the king. If Wynne comes looking for me, tell her that I am with the king and meet with Bridget yourself. Explain to her what is going on for I believe she will have most likely blocked the night's events out of her mind. Be kind to her Alistair. After what has happened…she needs a friend."

Alistair nodded.

"Yes Duncan. Forgive me for my silly prejudice. It was stupid."

Duncan gave him a understanding smile and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"You have every right to have that resentment Alistair…but do not judge people just by their name. If you will excuse me, I must speak with Cailan."

Alistair watched as Duncan walked off. Next thing he knew he felt something wet and slobbery touching his hand. Alistair whipped around to see a mabari staring up at him and wagging his tale.

"Duncan…?"

Duncan turned back around and chuckled.

"Oh yes that is Bridget's dog, Zeus. Be nice to him and he'll be nice to you."

Alistair gently petted the pooch on his head and the dog barked in happy compliance. He sat underneath the tree and decided to wait for Wynne to summon him. Alistair however ended up falling asleep and was not woken up until hours later.

"How is she?" Alistair asked groggily as Wynne nudged him.

Wynne sighed sadly.

"She is distraught, but strong. I explained some of the situation but not all as I knew you would be better at that than I. She is over there under the tree."

Alistair followed Wynne's gaze to see that Bridget had chosen to get as far away from everything else without actually being outside of the camp. She sat underneath a large tree in the distance that was on top of a small hill. Alistair noticed that Zeus had already made his way towards her. He thanked Wynne and followed the dog.

Bridget sat and stared out at all the other soldiers. She had finally gotten her wish to be in battle although this was far from how she had wanted that wish to be granted. Zeus approached her and licked the side of her face. Bridget smiled and hugged his neck tightly. He was the only thing left of home now. The only family she had left.

"Um…hi there."

Bridget turned to see a soldier standing behind Zeus. He looked…different from the others that she had seen. Whereas the other soldiers all had very stern and mean faces…this man's face was kind as were his honey colored eyes. She had never seen hair like his before, it was rather different sticking up in the front, but it suited his demeanor. Bridget stood.

"Hello." She replied softly.

Alistair hoped she couldn't tell that he was kind of staring at her. Duncan was right…she was a formidable recruit, Alistair could tell just by looking at her. Her long hair was pulled back into a bun, though instead of a tightly bound one, she had hers in a loose one. She had a kind face and beautiful, crystal blue eyes…but they were puffy and bloodshot. Alistair knew she must've been crying. He blinked and brought himself back to reality before she realized he was staring at her.

"I'm Alistair. Duncan told me that you are a new recruit."

Bridget nodded.

"I'm Bridget…just Bridget."

Alistair smiled at her.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Bridget. I'm a Warden too, I'll be helping you when Duncan sets up the Ritual."

Bridget looked up at him.

"You're a Warden too?" she asked.

Alistair nodded.

"Yes I am. Please don't be offended when I say this but I am rather surprised you are a woman…not very many women become Grey Wardens. In fact…I can't really think of any."

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"I may be a woman but that does not make me any less capable of killing Darkspawn or anything else."

Alistair swallowed. Touchy topic, he shouldn't have brought it up. She was probably the type of girl who had been told that she was "too delicate" to hold her own in battle and should stay at home where she belonged. Alistair cleared his throat.

"I completely believe you, Duncan even said out of all the recruits, you are the most promising."

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Really?" she asked.

Alistair smiled and nodded.

"He did."

There was a short, awkward silence that followed. Alistair shifted his weight from foot to foot and said,

"So is there anything that you wished to ask me?"

Bridget looked up at him.

"How did you become a Warden?" she asked.

Alistair smiled.

"I had a feeling you'd ask that. Well I never knew my parents and I was raised in the Chantry. They trained me to become a templar…but I never really wanted to be a templar…Duncan came looking for new recruits one day and found me. I never got to take my vows so I'm not actually a true templar, but I do have their skills."

Bridget nodded.

"Sounds like you and Duncan are very close."

Alistair chuckled.

"Yeah we hit it off pretty well. I always wondered why he chose me despite that there were others that were skilled far more than I was. He always said he chose me because I had such a good character, and that mattered above all else."

Bridget's eyes widened suddenly. She looked up at Alistair.

"Did Duncan mention my brother at all? Is he here? He was supposed to arrive yesterday,"

Alistair looked at her.

"Well if you're up to it, we can go and ask,"

Bridget nodded and grabbed Alistair's hand.

"Yes, I need to find him, he's all I have left!"

She pulled Alistair along down the hill before she realized she had absolutely no idea where Duncan was.

"Perhaps you should lead for now." She suggested as she let go of Alistair's hand and looked away. Alistair smiled sadly. He knew how eager she was to see her brother, if he were even here. He would hate to see her if he too had been killed. Alistair led her to Duncan's tent near the edge of the camp leading out to the Korcari Wilds. Duncan looked up and smiled at her.

"I am so pleased to see that you are alright. And I see that you have met Alistair. Are you ready for the Ritual?"

Bridget nodded.

"Well yes I am, but I was wondering if you knew whether or not Fergus was here since he left yesterday."

Duncan furrowed his brow.

"I believe he is, but he is on a scouting mission in the Wilds and will not return for some time. I am sorry."

Bridget sighed.

"Very well…I am ready to begin."

Duncan nodded.

"Good. Alistair, gather the others. It is time we begin."


	5. Chapter 4: Into the Wilds

Chapter 4

Into the Wilds

Alistair soon returned with two other men whom Bridget assumed were also recruits. The two joined Bridget and stood on either side of her, both of them looking even more nervous than she did. Alistair stood next to Duncan who introduced the two other recruits.

"Bridget, this is Daveth," Duncan said as he pointed to the tall and skinny man on Bridget's right.

"And over there is Ser Jory."

The men both nodded at her, still to nervous to say anything. Duncan went on to explain the Ritual.

"You will be going into the Korcari Wilds where you must complete two tasks. Each of you will be given a vial. All of these vials need to be filled with Darkspawn blood."

The man named Daveth nearly dropped the vial as Duncan handed it to him.

"Filled with Darkspawn blood? You m-mean there's Darkspawn in the Wilds?"

Ser Jory also looked worried.

"How exactly are we supposed to get the blood in the vial…isn't their blood you know, tainted?"

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"For the sake of the Maker, seems like I'm the bravest one here!" she said under her breath.

She looked up to see Alistair smiling at her.

_Damn…he must've heard me._ She thought.

Bridget turned her attention back to Duncan as he had just finished explaining to the others that they have to get the blood in order to complete the Ritual.

"After that, you will need to retrieve the old Grey Warden Treaties. They will be in a chest; you will know it when you see it. Alistair will be accompanying you into the Wilds. Once you complete these tasks you will be ready to partake in the Joining. Do any of you have any questions?"

Bridget and the others shook their heads.

"Very well. May the Maker watch over you."

Alistair stepped in front of them.

"Right then, the entrance to the Wilds is right over here." He said.

Bridget took the lead as she was quite sure none of the others wanted to and stepped through the gates into the Wilds. Now that it was dusk, the Wilds were basked in a eerie glow. Bridget withdrew her sword and shield, as did Alistair.

"Best to keep your wits about you in here, this place is crawling with Darkspawn."

Daveth gulped and gripped his bow tightly. Bridget slowly began to move forward, ignoring the chill in the air. They slowly made their way down the path before they heard the sound of a wolf howling. The howl sounded much closer than any of them would've liked. Bridget closed her eyes and listened carefully. She thought back to what Fergus had said about listening for enemies.

_Everyone is bound to make some type of noise. You must train your ears to hear everything. Close your eyes and forget everything else. Listen and you will be able to hear them…_

Bridget blocked out everything else and listened as hard as she could. She heard the sound of a twig snapping and whipped around.

"Wolves!"

Sure enough, five wolves emerged from the trees. Bridget immediately went for the one that was closest to her while the others fought off the rest. They were all bathed in blood by the time they had finished disposing of the beasts. Ser Jory swallowed and shook his head.

"At least it wasn't a Darkspawn." He whispered.

Bridget shook her head.

"They'll be plenty ahead, I'm sure." She replied back.

The party continued on their way, following the beaten forest path. They could still make out the walls of the camp which meant that they still were not very deep yet. Bridget furrowed her brow as she saw a body lying in the distance. She hurried over to it.

"It's a soldier from camp." Daveth stated.

Alistair nodded.

"Probably one from…" he began.

Bridget turned and looked at him. Alistair looked down at the man and sighed sadly.

"The scouting mission." He finished in an anguished whisper.

Bridget knelt down by the man.

"Sir can you speak?" she asked.

The soldier nodded and coughed.

"There were so many…we couldn't hold them…"

Bridget looked up at Alistair.

"Do you have any bandages?" she asked.

Alistair nodded and withdrew some from his pack. Bridget quickly wrapped the man's wounds with the bandages and helped him stand.

"I suppose you won't know this…but was Fergus Cousland with you?" Bridget asked hopefully.

The soldier nodded.

"I…yes I think so. We all ran in separate directions though…I have no idea what happened to the rest of the soldiers, those that were not killed anyway."

Bridget closed her eyes and sighed. Alistair looked at her. He knew she was hoping her brother would still be here, but he doubted it highly. Hopefully he was able to get away at least. Alistair hoped that for Bridget's sake he was.

"Do you need help getting back to the camp?" she asked him.

The soldier shook his head.

"No I can manage. Thank you for helping me."

With that, he limped off past them.

"We should keep moving." Bridget said as soon as he walked away.

She took the lead again and they progressed deeper into the Wilds. Bridget could see a hill in the distance and noted that it was quite odd. The air was too still. A foul stench filled the air and Alistair gripped his sword.

"They're here." He stated.

Bridget turned to see three Darkspawn emerge from the hill and began running towards them. Her eyes widened. This was the first time she had ever seen one before. They were ugly, foul creatures…their flesh rotting and oozing from their skulls. Bridget ran for one of the larger ones and ran them through with her blade. The Hurlock's black blood showered the ground, and, although it may have been Bridget's eyes playing tricks on her, she thought that the blood devoured a little bit of the ground…like it was an acid that ate through the hearth. Shaking her head to bring herself out of her thoughts, Bridget bent down and filled her vial with the black blood. She turned to see the others staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

Daveth blinked.

"Y-You killed that Darkspawn all by yourself…"

Bridget gaped at him.

"Oh _really_? For the love of Andraste just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't take care of myself!"

Alistair smiled at her as she walked past him. She was nothing he originally expected and he felt stupid for underestimating her just because of her gender. She certainly proved to be stronger than both Daveth and Ser Jory put together, not to mention braver. Alistair figured she could probably stare an ogre in the face and not flinch!

"You girls filled your vials I hope?" Bridget asked the other two.

Alistair chuckled but was able to cover it up with a cough.

"Yeah we did…" Ser Jory replied shamefully.

Bridget nodded.

"Good, now we just need to find the treaties…"

They continued on, killing any Darkspawn that happened to pop up along the way. After a bit more walking, Bridget noticed some ruins coming up in the distance.

"Perhaps the treaties are there." She said under her breath.

She continued to lead the party towards the ruins. Upon entering them, Bridget noticed a interesting looking chest and hurried over to it. She frowned when she approached it however, as she realized that it had already been broken into.

"Damn."

"Looking for something, are we?"

Bridget and the others turned around to see a woman appear out of the shadows. Her skin was deeply pallid and her eyes were cold. Her ravenous hair was pulled back into a bun. She looked unpleased. Bridget noticed the staff strapped to her back and realized that she was a mage. The woman walked towards them but kept her distance. Her clothing was rather questionable…she wore nothing but rags of black and deep red. Ser Jory took a step back.

"She's a witch of the Wilds!" he shouted.

The woman rolled her eyes as she walked to stand atop some rubble so that she could look down at them all.

"I am no 'witch of the Wilds…I simply live here in the Korcari Wilds. When did that become a crime?" she asked in a slow, un-amused voice.

Before the others could further insult the strange woman, Bridget said,

"We are sorry to have disturbed your home."

The woman looked at her.

"I can deduce that you are the only one out of your little group here that actually has a brain. You have not disturbed anything that the Darkspawn has not already gotten to."

"We are looking for the Grey Warden treaties…have you seen them?"

The witch raised an eyebrow.

"Ah…and why would you be looking for those? Do you wish to steal them as others have?" she inquired.

Before Bridget could reply, Alistair stepped forward and said,

"Those treaties are property of the Grey Wardens, we need them back."

The woman narrowed her eyes at him and turned her cold, yellow hued eyes back to Bridget.

"This is why I do not converse with men. They always jump to conclusions. If you must know, my mother took them away from here. If you need them _so_ desperately…I suppose I can take you to them."

"I don't like this…" Alistair whispered uneasily.

Bridget looked back at the mysterious woman and said,

"Can you tell me your name first?"

The woman looked at her peculiarly and said,

"I do not know what good it will do you to know my name, but if you must, it is Morrigan."

"I am Bridget."

Morrigan looked at her.

"Shall I take you to Flemeth now?"

Daveth's jaw nearly hit the stone they were standing on.

"Flemeth? Your mother is Flemeth?"

"She really is a witch of the Wilds!" Ser Jory shouted.

Morrigan rolled her eyes. She decided to ignore the others and conversed with only Bridget.

"My mother took the treaties to keep them safe, obviously. Many wished to steal them before, and these documents are important are they not? You need them in case of a Blight were to occur…yes? My mother was doing you Grey Wardens a favor by taking them back to her hut."

Bridget nodded.

"Indeed she did. Can you please take us to her?"

Morrigan sighed.

"Yes I suppose I can. Follow me…"


	6. Chapter 5: The Joining

Chapter 5

The Joining

No one spoke as the mysterious Morrigan led them into the deepest parts of the Wilds, towards her mother's hut. Bridget could sense the uneasiness in the group but knew that trusting Morrigan to take them to Flemeth would be the only way they would retrieve the treaties. They emerged from the dense patch of the Wilds and came up to a very unstable and old hut. An old woman sat by a fire outside and stood when she noticed the arrival of her daughters and the others.

"Ah Morrigan…it is unlike you to bring friends for supper." She noted.

Bridget stared at the elder and noted that if Daveth and Jory thought that Morrigan looked like she was a witch…they were probably already convincing themselves that this Flemeth was indeed the true witch of the Wilds.

"I have with me a Grey Warden and recruits. They need their treaties." Morrigan stated dully.

Flemeth nodded and swept her eyes over the group.

"Very well, I will fetch them."

She disappeared into her hut and returned moments later with a fairly thick stack of paper. She handed them to Bridget.

"There you are. I hope you did not think that I 'stole' these documents. I only took them away from their rightful place because the barbarians that live here amongst the animals wished to steal them."

Alistair nodded.

"I suppose we should thank you for keeping them safe for all this time."

Flemmeth held up her hands.

"No need. Now that you have your treaties, Morrigan will show you out of the forest."

Morrigan sighed.

"Follow me." She said once again.

The walk back to the edge of the forest did not take as long as Bridget had thought it would. Morrigan bid farewell as soon as the walls of Ostagar came into view, stating that they should no how to get back from there. Before Bridget could thank her for her help, Morrigan had already disappeared back into the shadows.

"Whew…I'm glad to be rid of her…a bit creepy don't you think?" Alistair joked.

Bridget smiled.

"Yes, but she did help us with the treaties."

Alistair nodded.

"Right, now we need to get back to Duncan."

The group grew silent as they reached the gate leading back into the camp. A small knot of nerves formed in Bridget's stomach. Now that they had the tasks complete…what would Duncan ask of them next? They found him by the fire, exactly where they had left him. Bridget handed him the treaties and the vials of blood.

"Well done. Are you ready to partake in the Joining?" he asked.

Bridget nodded, wanting to get it over with. She did not know what to expect…but by the tone of Duncan's voice…she deduced that they would not like it.

"Very well, follow me."

Bridget and the others followed Duncan away from camp towards more ruins. Once there, a single goblet sat atop a stone table. Duncan turned to the goblet and began to fill it with the blood that Bridget and the others collected. Jory's eyes widened.

"Are we…we're not going to drink that, are we?" he asked nervously.

Duncan sighed and turned to him.

"In order to become a Grey Warden…you must drink the blood of a Darkspawn. This is the age old Ritual since the beginning of the Grey Wardens. Those that prove worthy will survive. Those that do not…will die."

Duncan handed the goblet to Daveth. He swallowed and took a deep breath before taking a sip. Immediately his body had a reaction to it. Daveth dropped to his knees and held his throat. His breath sounded as if there were some invisible creature sucking it right out of him. He fell over…dead.

Bridget swallowed nervously. No…she was not afraid. She had lost her entire family...and nothing could be worse than that feeling of emptiness that she carried with her, that feeling of guilt that plagued her soul. Jory was next, but what was he doing?

"I-I can't…I have a wife…with a child along the way!" he shouted.

Duncan placed the goblet on the stone table and withdrew his own sword as Jory was now brandishing his.

"I am sorry Jory…I cannot let you live now that you know the process."

Before Jory even had any hope of deflecting Duncan's blow, Duncan had impaled him with his sword, showering dark crimson liquid all around. Duncan sighed and replaced his blade back in it's sheath. He picked the goblet back up again and walked towards Bridget. She took a deep breath and lifted the goblet to her lips. Bridget felt her mouth burn, as if it was filled with oil and someone had lit a match. She swallowed down the vile liquid and held her stomach. She felt the poisonous blood spread throughout her entire body in mere seconds. Bridget felt her entire body go numb, she didn't think she could feel any hotter, she half expected her skin to begin to boil. She looked up into the night sky and felt her eyes roll into the back of her head and then…nothing.

Bridget felt something against her cheek. She slowly opened her eyes and stared up at Alistair.

"Duncan! She's awake, she made it!"

Bridget placed a hand to her forehead and sighed. Her skin felt clammy, but cool. Alistair held out his hand and she took it, thanking him as he helped her stand. Duncan approached her.

"Congratulations…you are a Grey Warden."

Bridget took a deep breath.

"That was most unpleasant…is this how you treat all your ladies, Duncan?"

Alistair chuckled and Duncan smiled.

"Already cracking jokes, I see. I knew you would make a good Warden. You may rest for a while but afterwards I need you and Alistair to join me to meet with King Cailan. He is discussing his battle strategy for tomorrow."

Bridget nodded, still a little weary and was grateful that she would be able to rest for a bit. Duncan smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Your father would have been very proud, Bridget."

Bridget looked down at her feet.

"Thank you." She replied.

Duncan nodded and walked off. Bridget looked up at Alistair.

"I feel bad for Daveth…and Jory…" she whispered.

Alistair sighed.

"I know. Not everyone made it through my Joining, either. I'm glad you did though…Duncan is right, you are going to make a great Warden."

Bridget gave him a small smile.

"Thanks, Alistair. Well I guess we should go and meet with the king to get it over with. Sooner we do that, sooner we can sleep."

Alistair nodded.

"I agree. I don't know how much sleep either one of us will get tonight with the impending battle and all, but it's worth a shot, right?"

Bridget smiled and laughed softly.

"Yes, I suppose it is."

They turned and followed in Duncan's wake towards the king's tent. Upon approaching the tent, there seemed to be a dispute between two men.

"Cailan you would sacrifice the lives of all these people just to have glory in battle?" A dark haired stern looking man said.

King Cailan ignored him when he noticed Bridget and Alistair.

"You must be the new Grey Warden, congratulations."

Bridget looked at him and furrowed her brow. He looked oddly like someone else that she knew…she dropped into a bow.

"Thank you your Majesty. I am honored to stand by you and defend Fereldon with the others."

Cailan smiled and looked back at the other man.

"Looks like you could learn something from her, Loghain." He stated.

Bridget's eyes widened. She did not realize that the man the king spoke to was the Teyrn of Gwaren and decorated war hero. Bridget always pictured him to look…well he didn't match up to anything that she pictured.

"I'm glad you are here, Duncan. I need the two other Wardens to light the beacon at the Tower of Ishal during the onslaught. This will inform Teyrn Loghain to march his men towards battle."

Duncan bowed deeply.

"It shall be done, your Majesty."

Bridget and Alistair bowed and followed Duncan back to his tent.

"So let me get this straight…we're not going to get to fight tomorrow?"

Duncan turned and looked at him.

"Consider yourself lucky, Alistair. The king has entrusted this important task to you two…I know you will be able to get it done."

Bridget nodded, although she too had hoped to fight in battle. Duncan bid them both a good night and retired to his tent. Alistair sighed.

"I was really looking forward to killing some Darkspawn too." He said in disappointment.

Bridget nodded.

"I was too. Seems like I can never bloody fight in battle not even when I'm in a camp full of soldiers!"

Alistair chuckled.

"Maybe once we light the beacon we can join?" he suggested.

Bridget nodded.

"Perhaps…after we light the beacon I see no reason why we should remain in the tower. Maybe we will get our wish after all."

Alistair smiled.

"Maybe. Well…I guess I'll go and try to get some sleep although I find that highly impossible. I don't know if Wynne showed you were your tent was, but it's right over there." Alistair said as he pointed off to a tent a little more than a foot away.

"She did, but thanks for the refresher. After everything I've been through in the past three hours, there was no possible way I would remember where it was." She began to walk off to her tent, Zeus coming out of nowhere and trotting at her side.

"Goodnight, Alistair." She said.

Alistair nodded.

"Goodnight."

Bridget crawled into her tent after ordering Zeus to stay outside as it was rather small and would not fit the both of them. Bridget removed her armor and laid back on the small bedroll. She was tired and her whole body ached, most likely from the Ritual. Bridget closed her eyes praying to the Maker that things would go in favor of the king during the upcoming battle…


	7. Chapter 6: The Battle of Ostagar

Chapter 6

The Battle of Ostagar

Bridget woke early the next morning and prepared herself for the upcoming battle that she hoped she could join. Upon exiting her tent, she saw Alistair running towards her.

"Alistair? What is it?" she asked as he stopped in front of her.

"We've been ambushed, there are Darkspawn everywhere, we need to get to the tower, immediately!" he shouted.

Bridget quickly grabbed her weapons and whistled for Zeus to follow. Bridget followed Alistair, running steadily to keep up with him and before long they came to a bridge. Bridget's eyes widened.

"Maker…" she said in a breathless whisper.

The bridge connecting the ruins to the Tower was almost completely demolished. Dozens of men already lay dying, and only about five archers remained. As Bridget and Alistair ran across the bridge, a huge boulder came out of no where and slammed into the bridge, throwing them off of their feet. Bridget picked herself up and kept running with Alistair. When they finally reached the outskirts of the tower, Darkspawn were everywhere! Genlocks and Hurlocks stood fighting the few soldiers and mages that were there.

"I don't understand…there aren't supposed to be any Darkspawn here." Alistair stated.

Bridget looked at him and removed her sword from its sheath.

"I guess we will get to fight, just like we wanted." She replied.

Alistair removed his sword and shield as well.

"Haha, guess you're right."

They both charged forward going to the aid of the soldiers and mages. Bridget cut down the Genlock in front of her and ran to help Zeus who was taking on two Hurlocks. Bridget bashed one of them with her shield, knocked it down and stabbed it in it's stomach.

"Come on, to the tower!" she screamed.

Alistair hurried over towards her, and as they reached the tower door, he rammed into it with his shoulder, breaking the lock and allowing them entry. Bridget was breathing hard. The thrill of battle was exhilarating, just like Fergus described it! More Darkspawn were waiting for them in the tower. After killing them, Bridget bent down to one and noticed that it carried a money pouch. She snatched it up.

"Why the hell would these things have money?" she asked.

Alistair gave a small chuckle.

"You know I've always wondered the same thing."

Pocketing the pouch, Bridget led the others to a staircase. They ran up it taking two or three steps at a time and barged into the next floor. No surprise that there were even more Darkspawn waiting on the other side. After disposing of them, Alistair, who was trying to regain his breath said,

"I think the next floor is the top one. Let's get to the beacon so Teyrn Loghain can send his troops to the king's aid. He'll be in need of them, I'm sure."

Bridget nodded and together they ran up the next flight of stairs. Bridget threw open the door and swallowed. There was a large ogre inside who appeared to be feasting on another soldier. The large beast turned and dropped the soldier and roared loudly. Before Alistair could do anything, Bridget had already ran forward and engaged the ogre head on. In mere minutes it had fallen with Bridget stabbing her sword into it's chest. She withdrew it and turned to Alistair.

"Let's light the beacon, now!"

Alistair ran to it and grabbed a torch off of the wall, throwing it into the pit setting the wood up in flames.

"There…that should do it."

Just then a whole wave of Darkspawn flooded into the room. There were some that were clad in heavy armor…some Bridget had not come across yet. She and Alistair didn't have time to really steady themselves for combat before the mage that had accompanied them was thrown against the far wall, his spine shattering upon contact. Bridget tried to hold off as many as she could…but they were beginning to overpower her. She chanced a look at Alistair to see six or seven Hurlocks surrounding him. That one chance look was Bridget's mistake. She felt a searing pain in her side and fell to the ground. In her last moments before the darkness in the corners of her eyes took over, she saw Alistair fall as well…and then she heard a terrible roar. Another ogre? But this roar sounded deeper…more vicious. Bridget closed her eyes as a falling sensation spread throughout her body…

Bridget slowly opened her eyes and stared up at a wooden ceiling. Her vision was hazy and blurred. She closed her eyes and opened them again, this time smelling the burning wood in…a fireplace?

"Ah I see you have awoken."

Bridget sat up slowly, wincing slightly as she felt her side. Bridget looked down to see it wrapped in bandages. She looked up towards the door to see (to her great surprise) Morrigan walking towards her.

"My mother has healed your wounds to the best of her ability."

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"The battle…what happened where is,"

Morrigan held up her hand.

"There is much to be explained. The man that was to aid your king left him to fend for himself."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"What? But we lit the beacon!" she exclaimed.

Morrigan nodded.

"That is indeed true but apparently this man had this planned from the very beginning. The majority of everyone within the king's troops is dead. Those that survived were taken to the Deep Roads. Your friend…he is not taking this well."

Bridget looked at her.

"Alistair? You mean he's alright?"

Morrigan nodded.

"If this Alistair is the blonde and dimwitted one from before, then yes he is outside as is some mabari hound dog."

Bridget breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank the Maker…can I see him?" she asked.

Morrigan nodded.

"Yes your wounds are completely healed for now; just keep the bandage on a bit longer. I will remain here and make something to it. Your garb is over there."

With that, Morrigan walked towards the back of the hut. Bridget heard the scraping of a pot. Bridget removed the blankets from herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood slowly, a little sore but other than that she was alright. She walked over to a chest on which her armor and weapons laid and picked them up. After she was dressed, Bridget opened the door and stepped outside. The bright sunlight made her squint and she saw Alistair pacing nearby in front of a small pond. Bridget walked over to him.

"Alistair?"

Alistair turned and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh I'm so glad you're awake…I was getting worried…"

Bridget looked at him and could see the pain in his eyes.

"Alistair…I'm so sorry."

He shook his head.

"Nothing here is your fault. I just can't believe what's happened…and Duncan…" he said in anguish.

"It would appear that those treaties I gave you will be of good use now."

Both Alistair and Bridget turned to see the mysterious Flemeth approach them.

"This is indeed a true Blight. As the only two remaining Grey Wardens it is your duty to unite all of Fereldon against those that threaten it."

Alistair nodded and sighed.

"She's right…we're all that's left now."

Bridget looked at him.

"I thought Duncan mentioned others?"

Alistair nodded.

"There are others, but they are all the way in Orlais…"

Bridget sighed. She turned to Flemeth.

"Thank you for saving us."

Alistair raised an eyebrow.

"Come to think of it, how did you save us?"

Before Flemeth could answer, Morrigan emerged out of the hut.

"The stew is bubbling. Will you two be staying for supper?" she asked dully.

Flemeth shook her head.

"No dear, they are heading out and you are going with them."

Morrigan, Alistair, and Bridget all replied with a simultaneous

"What?"

Flemeth chuckled.

"You are always complaining about staying here in the Wilds, child, now is your time and chance to leave."

Alistair shook his head.

"No, we don't need her help,"

Morrigan crossed her arms.

"Afraid I might turn you into a toad?" she asked.

Alistair cleared his throat.

"Yes actually, I am. I don't like toads…"

Bridget looked at Alistair.

"Morrigan will be useful, Alistair. We can use her help and quite frankly we need all the help we can get."

Morrigan looked at her, surprised.

"I knew I was right when I stated that you were the only one with a brain."

Zeus trotted up to Bridget and sat at her feet, wagging his tail and staring up at Morrigan.

"And we even have a dog and Alistair is _still_ the dumbest one out of our little group. Very well…if you will have me I guess I do not have any choice in the matter."

Alistair grumbled something un-audible under his breath. Flemeth nodded.

"Good. Go and unite Fereldon. We are all depending on you."

With that, Morrigan bid farewell to her mother and took the lead as she knew the quickest route out of the Wilds.

"I suggest we first stop at a small village called Lothering. We will be able to get supplies there as well as hear some news."

Bridget nodded.

"I think that's a good idea. We have no supplies…and we'll be needing a lot of them."

Alistair still said nothing, but kept eyeing Morrigan suspiciously. She took immediate notice of this and said,

"If you do _not_ stop staring at me you fool, I _will_ turn you into a toad and I will chuck you into the nearest swamp we see!"

Alistair became highly interested in staring at his feet for the rest of the journey to Lothering


	8. Chapter 7: Lothering

Chapter 7

Lothering

The journey to Lothering only took a few hours and soon the party stood on its outskirts. Bridget could see that there was a small group of men standing on the bridge that they needed to cross to get to the outskirts of the small village. As they approached…Bridget could tell that they were up to no good. That and the fact that there was a dead body nearby did not help her thoughts.

"Well, well looks like we've got some more travelers."

Bridget assumed the man that said this was the leader as he was standing at the front.

"And just what are you doing…exactly?" she asked.

The skinny man crossed his arms.

"There's a toll on the bridge now, five sovereigns to pass."

Morrigan raised her eyebrows.

"That's a tad high for your average toll…" she stated.

Bridget nodded as the man shrugged.

"Well what can I say…we've had to um increase it what with all of these refugees…"

"Your stealing from them, is what you mean." Bridget spat.

The man placed a hand over his heart.

"I cannot believe you would think that I would take anything from these hopeless people! I think we should teach this whore a lesson, don't you boys?"

Bridget rolled her eyes and withdrew her sword. The battle didn't even last three minutes and all that was left of the group was the leader. Morrigan tsked.

"And so the frightened mouse is all that's left."

The man squeaked under the scrutiny of her gaze and turned back to Bridget.

"Wait! I-I can give you some information!" he exclaimed.

Bridget cocked her head to the side.

"Oh? What do you think you can say that would be of any interest to me?" she asked.

The man swallowed.

"I can tell you that the Grey Wardens betrayed the king at Ostagar! At least that's what Teyrn Loghain's been saying."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"That bastard." She hissed.

The man stumbled backward over one of his dead allies.

"Now that I've told you that…will you let me go?"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Just so you can harass more refugees? I don't think so."

She cut him down before he could say anything else. Morrigan expressed her agreement wholeheartedly.

"That urchin of a man got what he deserved. I wonder though…next time we meet ruffians along the road…perhaps we should just kill them and be done with it?"

Bridget shrugged and whistled for Zeus.

"Can you clean us up boy? Might look bad if we show up in the village covered in blood."

Zeus barked in compliance and soon they all stood blood stain free. Bridget and the others walked across the bridge and came to the outskirts of Lothering. Refugees lined the outside of the small village in tents all of them carrying looks of anguish and devastation. Upon entering the village, Morrigan noted,

"There is a tavern there…no doubt you will hear some more news…I am sure it is riddled with gossipers."

Bridget looked over at Alistair who was still looking at his feet. They all entered the establishment and sat themselves towards the back. Morrigan sat at a different table stating that she would try to get information out of another mage that was sitting nearby. Bridget turned to Alistair. She noticed his hand sitting on the table. Slowly, she reached out and placed her hand atop his. Alistair immediately looked up at her.

"Did you want to talk about Duncan?"

Alistair sighed and shook his head.

"You don't have to do this…"

He tried to pull his hand away, but Bridget squeezed it. Alistair looked back at her and into her crystal blue eyes.

"I know he was like a father to you, Alistair. I'm sorry."

Alistair shook his head.

"I don't expect you to understand how I feel…" he replied.

When Bridget removed her hand from his, Alistair looked at her again and noticed the hurt in her eyes.

"I've recently lost my entire family, in case you've forgotten." She quipped.

Alistair bit his lip.

"That's right…forgive me…I had forgotten."

Bridget sighed and averted her gaze. She waved her hand in the air.

"It's fine…we've been through so much since we met…I shouldn't have expected for you to remember."

Alistair looked at her.

"I should have though…I'm sorry. Perhaps when this is all over I'll go to Highever and give both Duncan and King Cailan a funeral."

"Maybe I will go with you…" Bridget said after a long pause.

Alistair smiled at her and nodded.

"I'd like that. You know Bridget…I'm glad you made it through the Joining. I couldn't see myself traveling with anyone else…"

Bridget gave him a small smile.

"I'm glad to be traveling with you too, Alistair."

Alistair opened his mouth to reply but didn't get the chance when the tavern door swung open and revealed a heavily armored soldier along with about five or six others. His cold eyes landed on Bridget and Alistair and he withdrew his sword.

"Boys, doesn't that wench look like the Grey Warden that was described to us?"

His companions nodded in reply. Alistair and Bridget stood, drawing their own weapons. Morrigan had appeared again as well brandishing her staff. Before Bridget could reply, a Chantry Sister with red hair seemed to appear out of no where and stepped in the middle of the tavern.

"You do not need to fight here," she began in a thick Orlesian accent.

The leader pushed her out of the way.

"Move, Sister…do not involve yourself in politics."

To everyone's surprise, the red haired woman withdrew a curved sword and began to take on one of the leader's guards. This granted Bridget and the others a momentary distraction so that they could join the battle as well. The other patrons of the tavern watched on as one by one the lead guard's men all fell.

"Wait! Please have mercy!"

Bridget's sword was inches away from the man's throat. She narrowed her eyes at him and withdrew her blade.

"Get out of here, leave before I change my mind!"

The wounded leader ran off. The redheaded Orlesian turned to Bridget and smiled.

"I am glad that you spared him…we do not need anymore unnecessary deaths. Where shall we be going next?" she asked.

Bridget became confused. Alistair too and said,

"Wait…hold on…who said you were coming with us?"

The redheaded bard replied,

"Why the Maker, of course."

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"Was that supposed to be some type of joke?" he asked slowly.

The strange woman turned to look at Bridget.

"I had a vision from the Maker. He spoke to me and told me that I need to accompany you on your journey. I prove to be quite useful," she added quickly as Bridget was sure she had a look of doubt cross her face.

"I can pick locks, and make poisons and,"

Morrigan said under her breath,

"It appears to me that this odd woman just wants some friends. I say she should look elsewhere. We already have enough people tagging along. I already have to put up with Alistair…I do not know how many more idiots I can take."

"Hey! I heard that!" Alistair shot back in a heated whisper.

Morrigan shrugged.

"Then at least you know I am an honest person."

Bridget noticed that the bard had not stopped talking yet and decided to stop her by holding up her hand.

"Okay, okay calm down. I…suppose you may come with us if it is that important to you." She said slowly honestly hoping she wasn't making a mistake.

The bard grinned widely.

"Thank you so much! You will not regret this decision. My name is Leliana…I do believe I did not mention my name. I'm so glad you have decided to let me come with you!"

Morrigan heaved a hefty sigh.

"Great…now we have another mentally unstable person in our party, and a Chantry Sister to boot. Are you trying to make this difficult for me? Do you simply wish me to return back to Flemeth?"

Bridget chuckled.

"Oh come now Morrigan, things can't get any weirder than they already are."

Morrigan sighed.

"I suppose you are right. At least she's not some crazed elf assassin or a drunken dwarf…"

Alistair snorted.

"I doubt we'll run into any characters that could be worse than you."

Morrigan narrowed her eyes.

"The toad threat still stands, Alistair." She replied maliciously.

Once again Alistair became very interested in his feet. The group exited the tavern and stepped outside into the bright sunlight where a child stood crying by a bridge. Bridget approached the frightened young boy and knelt down at his side.

"What is wrong, child?" she asked softly.

The boy sniffled and replied,

"My Mummy…I can't find her. There were some bandits in the woods and she told me to run as fast as I could, that she would be right behind me. So I did and I've been waiting and waiting and my Mummy hasn't come out of the woods."

Bridget sighed.

"Perhaps you should go into the Chantry, I'm sure they will help you find your mother. Plus you should get out of the cold."

The boy wiped his eyes and looked at her.

"Mummy told me not to talk to strangers…but it is cold…and I am hungry."

Leliana smiled.

"The Chantry Sisters will take good care of you, lad." She said softly.

The boy smiled and nodded.

"You're right. I guess I'll go there and wait for my Mummy. Thank you, you remind me of her because you're so nice."

With that the little boy ran past them. Bridget stood.

"I guess we should be, hang on…where's Alistair?"

_Ribbit!_

Bridget turned to see a toad hopping towards them. Her jaw dropped as she turned to Morrigan. Morrigan noticed this and rolled her eyes.

"As tempting as it is…your Alistair is over there standing like a fool and gazing off into the unknown."

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"Alistair, what are you doing?" she shouted at him as he was a few feet away.

Alistair turned and shoved something into his pack before rejoining the others.

"Oh me…I wasn't doing anything." He said in an innocent voice.

Bridget raised her eyebrows but decided to drop the subject. They entered a nearby shop and bought tents and dried food and bread and (upon Alistair's insistence) lots of cheese. They also bought some injury kits and health poultices for the long journey ahead. After paying for their goods and buying a few packs so that they could carry them in, they were ready to leave the small village. Upon exiting, Bridget noticed that two dwarves were being harassed by bandits and came to their aid.

"Thank you for that, the name's Bodahn Feddic, and this is my boy, Sandal. We've got some goods if you'd like to see them?"

Bridget figured why not and browsed the dwarf merchant's wears. She noticed he had for sale a small wooden statuette and bought it, thinking Alistair would like it as a gift since he had confided in her that he liked those types of things. She stuck it into her pack and led the others out of the village. Night fell quickly and they were forced to make camp because they could not see. Morrigan set up her tent far away from everyone else, making Alistair's day. Leliana was quite the cook and made them all cheese stew for supper.

"I was thinking," Alistair began as he bit into his piece of bread.

Bridget looked at him. He swallowed his food and continued.

"I was thinking that we should go and see the Arl of Redcliffe, I know he will be very helpful and will aid us against the Blight."

Bridget nodded.

"You mean Arl Eamon?" she asked.

Alistair looked at her.

"How do you know him?"

Bridget took another spoonful of stew and said,

"My father was good friends with him when I was younger. I have not heard or seen him for many years now…but I agree when you say he will provide us aid. He is a good man."

Alistair grinned.

"Yeah, he is." He replied.

Bridget finished her stew and sighed. She looked to her tent longingly and Alistair chuckled.

"You go ahead and get some sleep, I'll take first watch." He offered.

Bridget smiled at him.

"Thank you, Alistair."

She crawled to her bedroll and lay back, staring up into the twinkling stars of the night. Bridget didn't bother actually getting into her tent as it was still not set up properly. Plus, she found staring up into the stars to be rather comforting and she continued to stare at them until she fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 8: The Village of Redcliffe

Chapter 8

The Village of Redcliffe

Terrible dreams plagued Bridget's mind as she slept. They were not of the Arch Demon, however…they were of something far worse. Bridget relieved the last day at the castle over and over again, she saw Oriana's and Orhen's bodies swimming in their blood, she saw her father, beaten and bruised, barely clinging onto life…

Bridget's eyes flew open as she awoke with a start. She sat up and took deep gulps of air and looked around. Camp…she was at camp just as she had been when she first went to sleep.

"Having the dreams again? I had terrible dreams after my Joining."

Bridget turned to see Alistair sitting by the fire. She shook her head.

"No…my dream wasn't of the Arch Demon…" she replied softly.

Alistair looked at her. She looked scared and frightened, he could see it in her eyes. What could be worse than seeing the Arch Demon in your sleep? If Darkspawn did not frighten her…than what did? Bridget sat with her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms around them.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alistair asked slowly.

Bridget looked at him. The flickering fire light made his hair glow in a bronze color. His face looked warm and kind…and the way the light danced in his eyes…it made Bridget feel relaxed, comfortable. Alistair looked at Bridget and noted how beautiful her hair was. It seemed to gleam like glow in the firelight…but she still had it pulled back in a bun! He wondered what she looked like with her hair down. No doubt it was to her waist…Alistair shook his head and brought himself back to reality. Bridget gave him a small smile.

"I guess I can…if you really want to hear it." She replied.

Alistair nodded.

"If it will help you to talk about it, then I will gladly listen."

Bridget sighed and explained everything to him. She started with how frustrated she was at being able to fight but not being able to participate, and how her father's men always laughed at her when she challenged them in a sparring match. She elaborated on the events of her final, peaceful day at her castle…on how Orhen had had hopes of being a warrior just like his father…

Bridget covered her face in her hands.

"They were my responsibility…and I failed them! I failed all of them! If Fergus is alive…I don't know how he will stand to look at me knowing that I did not protect his wife and child!"

Alistair looked at her. She had moved to sit next to him and get close to the fire. He felt compelled to do something…he couldn't bear to sit there with her crying next to him. Alistair slowly reached his arm out and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry…Bridget. You have been through so much…I-I feel bad for complaining…"

Bridget sniffled and shook her head. She turned to look at him. Alistair stared into her eyes…it was like staring into twin sapphire orbs…

"No Alistair…you have every right to mourn Duncan's loss…he was your family."

Alistair broke away from her gaze and stared into the fire.

_I need to tell her the truth…but…won't she treat me different? Just like the others?_

Bridget wiped her eyes and swallowed.

"Thank you, Alistair. I suppose all I needed was a friend to talk to."

Alistair turned back to her and returned the smile.

"I'll always be here to listen." He replied.

Bridget nodded. It wasn't until now that Alistair realized that his hand was still atop her shoulder. He removed it quickly and stared into the fire again.

"You should get some sleep, Alistair. I'll take watch for now."

Alistair nodded and stood.

"Right…um…do you think you could help…with my armor? I can't really see the straps to unhook my breastplate." He said bashfully.

Bridget looked up at him and stood as well. She unhooked the three straps on each of his sides and removed his armor. Alistair smiled.

"Thanks for that, you have no idea how frustrating it is to try and get out of it sometimes."

Bridget chuckled and handed his armor to him.

"Goodnight, Alistair." She said as she retook her seat by the flickering flames.

Alistair walked off to his tent and looked over his shoulder at her.

"Goodnight." He replied in a whisper.

Morning came and at dawn everyone packed up camp and began the journey to Redcliffe. Bridget was looking forward to seeing the Arl again. The last time she had seen him she had been just a girl! The group came to the entrance of the village at around mid-day. Bridget had been chatting merrily with Alistair, but stopped talking when she noticed a villager standing on the other side of the bridge into the village.

"Not another toll collector…you think?" Alistair whispered.

Bridget and the others walked up to the man. When he noticed them, he hurried towards them.

"Help, help us please!" he screamed.

"Woah, calm down…what's wrong?" Bridget asked.

The villager was visibly shaking he looked…he looked as if he had seen the dead walk among the living. Not a good sign.

"The creatures, they…they attacked us! They were skeletons…it was awful! Please you must help us!"

Morrigan shook her head.

"Let them help themselves. We have important business elsewhere, do we not?"

Alistair rolled his eyes.

"We can't just leave them here. If we lose Redcliffe…"

Bridget looked at the villager.

"Of course we'll help you." She stated.

The villager actually bowed to her.

"Thank you so much, come I will take you to Bann Teagan."

The group followed the villager into Redcliffe's Chantry, ignoring Morrigan's grumbling. Upon entering, they saw many refugees seeking shelter. They came up to a tall man with red tinted hair.

"Bann Teagan, I have found help at last!"

The concentrated look Teagan had on his face changed into one of relief.

"Thank you Tomas. I'm Bann Teagan, I am currently running things here in Redcliffe as my brother the Arl has fallen ill."

Alistair's eyes widened.

"Followed ill?" he asked suddenly.

Teagan turned and his expression turned into one of surprise.

"Alistair! Well I should have known you would come! It is good to see you again although I do wish it were under different circumstances."

Alistair nodded.

"The same to you, what is wrong with Arl Eamon?" he asked.

Teagan sighed.

"He has been gravely ill for weeks now. We cannot heal him…we have tried everything. We even called for the help of the strongest mages…but nothing is helping him. We haven't had contact with the castle for days so I do not even know if he lives!"

"Tomas mentioned something about creatures?" Bridget piped up.

Teagan turned to her.

"Oh my dear I am sorry…I completely over looked you. We…wait…my lady Cousland, is that you?"

Bridget nodded. Teagan sighed.

"We heard what happened in Highever…we thought you dead what with the fire…"

Bridget held up her hand.

"Please…don't. I take it Howe set my castle on fire then?"

Teagan raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked.

Bridget explained once again the story of that dreadful night. Teagan shook his head.

"My lady, forgive me. I am so sorry to hear what befell your family. I promise you if you help us and Eamon is somehow cured…we will aid you against the Blight."

"Is there any hope for him?" Alistair asked quietly.

Teagan sighed.

"We have but one hope…the Urn of Sacred Ashes."

Leliana's eyes widened.

"You believe the Urn exists too?" she asked.

Teagan nodded.

"We certainly are hoping it does. The Urn is the only hope my brother has now."

Bridget looked at him.

"I will help you find this Urn, but first we must deal with the undead army. When will they arrive next?"

"Nightfall tonight. You will need to speak to the mayor, Murdock. Thank you for all of your help my lady Cousland."

Bridget shook her head.

"Just Bridget now, Teagan." She replied.

They turned and exited the Chantry. Alistair smiled at Bridget.

"Thank you for agreeing to help. I grew up in this Chantry…being here certainly brings back memories."

Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"I think we're just wasting our time. This Arl Eamon is probably already dead!"

Alistair ignored her comment.

"I hope he's alright. He was Calain's uncle you know…which means he'll be our new king. I just hope he is alright…"

Bridget spotted a man in the distance and walked over to him.

"Excuse me sir, I'm looking for the mayor." She stated.

He turned and looked at her.

"Well you've found him. There's not much I can offer…what do you need?" he asked.

Bridget looked at him.

"Actually I was going to ask you the same thing. My friends and I are going to aid you in battle tonight."

Murdock crossed his arms.

"Thank the Maker…maybe there will not be many deaths tonight then. If you could help me with the blacksmith, that would be a great starter. He's locked himself in his shop and refuses to supply my men with armor and equipment. We won't last five minutes without his help. Thank you for all your help."

Bridget nodded.

"Speak with the Blacksmith, got it." She replied.

Murdock pointed to his shop and turned back around to speak with one of his soldiers. Bridget walked towards the shop and banged on the door.

"I've already told you, I'm not wasting my time against those things! We're all going to die…it's pointless."

Bridget looked at Alistair. Morrigan stated,

"Why not just have me burn down the door, I'm sure with a little…_persuasion_ he will make armor for these men."

Bridget turned back to the door and said,

"I just want to talk sir…perhaps I can help you with your troubles?"

Morrigan groaned.

"Again with all these side quests? Why do you feel compelled to help all these people who should learn how to fend for themselves?"

"Why do _you_ always have to complain about everything, Morrigan. Bridget helps these people because they need it, and we need them. Perhaps you should have stayed at the camp!" Leliana stated.

Morrigan, surprised to have been answered by the quiet Sister did not say anything in return. She instead crossed her arms and glared at everyone else. When Bridget turned back to the door, it was opened and an older gentleman stood inside.

"Alright…come in." he said.

Bridget and the others entered.

"The name's Owen. If you're here for the mayor then beat it. I've already told him I'm not making any more equipment, he should look elsewhere."

"Do you want the deaths of all those men on your conscious? It will be your fault if they die because they have nothing to defend themselves with!" Bridget shouted.

Alistair raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he had actually seen her raise her voice before at something other than a Darkspawn. He had a feeling though she knew there would be no other way to get her point across to this man if she didn't guilt him into it. Owen sighed.

"Look…I'll make the equipment, but you have to promise me something."

Bridget crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"And what would that be?"

Owen sighed and turned his back on her and the others.

"My daughter, Valena…she's a maid to the Arlessa and I haven't heard from her in days. If you could promise to find her and bring her back to me…I'll provide my services to Murdock."

Bridget sighed. There was a good chance that Owen's daughter was already dead. Still, the stubborn look in his eye would not go away and she knew he would not agree unless she did so.

"Very well, I will find your daughter."

Owen nodded.

"Alright. Tell Murdock he'll have his weapons."

He turned to his work station and began to compile his tools together. Bridget and the others left the blacksmith and returned to Murdock reporting what had happened.

"Good, good. Thank you."

"Let's kill these creatures…together." Bridget stated.

Murdock nodded.

"With your help as well as your friends…I believe that we will be successful."

As he walked off Bridget stared after him.

"I sure hope so…" she whispered to herself.


	10. Chapter 9: The Creatures of the Night

Chapter 9

The Creatures of the Night

Soon Redcliffe Village was cast in a glow of twilight. Bridget sat near a fire, sharpening her sword for the battle that would soon take place. According to Teagan…these creatures that were attacking them were not Darkspawn. Bridget wondered how the skeletons could come to life and terrorize the city. She looked up to see Morrigan, scowling over in a corner and decided she would be the best person to ask. Bridget stood and walked over towards her.

"Can I ask you something, Morrigan?" she asked.

Morrigan looked up at her from her seat on the log and waved her hand in the air.

"I am sure no matter what I say you will ask me anyway. What do you need to know?"

Bridget sat down on the log in front of Morrigan and sighed.

"If these creatures are not Darkspawn…and according to everyone I've spoken to they're not…what are they and how are they coming back to life?"

Morrigan raised an eyebrow.

"Obviously there is blood magic at work here. That is how all of these…_corpses_ are being able to walk again. Blood magic is...but a name though. It is…illegal however and must've been conjured by a blood mage. There must be one nearby in the area in order for this village to be suffering from it's effects."

Bridget sighed. Great…a blood mage was running rampant and destroying what little hope the people of Redcliffe had. Hopefully they would be able to find this blood mage and have him put an end to the turmoil he was causing. Soon night came and Bridget and the others stood near the front of the village with some of the other soldiers. Murdock stood at the front with them as well and gripped his sword tightly. He looked around nervously, Bridget could see sweat beading his brow. The poor man looked utterly frightened. Who wouldn't though against an army of the undead? Bridget grimaced and swallowed hard as a _very_ foul stench filled her nostrils. The fog that enveloped the village seemed to thicken…and Bridget heard a horrible screech. This was it. The army had arrived…

Immediately the skeletons were upon them. Some were fanged, some were enraged, all were horrible and relentless. It seemed as though that since they were given this chance to come back…they were not going to go down without a fight…and a fight they gave. One of them managed to cut Bridget across the arm, causing her to yell and take it down that much faster. She glanced to her side and went to Morrigan's aid as a fanged skeleton was sneaking up behind her. Morrigan whipped around after Bridget had slain the foe and nodded her head in thanks. After a few more skeletons had invaded them, a soldier came running from the opposite direction.

"The Chantry, they're attacking the Chantry!" he shouted before an arrow had caught him between the eyes. Bridget turned back to see another five or six storming towards them.

"Go on to the Chantry, my men and I will stay here!" Murdock shouted.

Bridget looked at him.

"We'll be fine, just hurry!"

Bridget led her friends to the Chantry to find the courtyard overrun with skeletons. The soldiers were trying their hardest to keep them from entering the establishment. Bridget and the others joined the battle and aided the soldiers in slashing the skeletons. For a long while it seemed that they just would not stop coming! Bridget turned to see a skeleton heading straight for her, but Alistair came out of no where and bashed it with his shield. Bridget nodded to him and then grabbed his arm and pulled Alistair out of the way of an arrow. It nearly hit his ear as it flew passed him and hit one of it's fellow skeletons in the back of the head. The skeleton that shot it roared it's disapproval and charged at both Alistair and Bridget. Together they easily took him down. Bridget breathed heavily and looked around. No more…there were no more…Bridget heaved a heavy sigh.

"We should head up to the windmill to see if there's anyone in need of our assistance there." Leliana suggested.

Bridget nodded and led the group up to the windmill where Teagan had just finished slaying another skeleton. He turned to them and sighed.

"I think that was the last of them. We need to get into the castle. There is a secret passage through the windmill but you will need a key,"

"Teagan!"

Bridget and the rest of the party turned to see a woman with red hair wearing an elaborate gown of pinks and reds running towards them with a guard at her heels. The woman stopped in front of Teagan and paused to catch her breath.

"Oh Teagan…I am so glad to have found you. Hurry, we must get back to the castle!"

"Isolde…how did you get out of the castle? We haven't had contact with you for days!"

Isolde nodded.

"I know…the castle, it has been overrun with abominations! There was a mage that infiltrated the castle! He is responsible for this undead army that wishes to destroy us all! Please Teagan, I need you to come to the castle with me!" she begged.

"What do you wish of me? Do you wish me to talk to the evil spirit that this mage has conjured?"

Isolde shook her head.

"I do not know what it wants, Teagan! I just need you to come with me, alone!"

Teagan sighed.

"Very well, I will go."

Before anyone could say anything else he and the Arlessa had already headed back towards the castle. Bridget didn't like the way this woman kept asking Teagan to accompany her alone, it was as if she completely ignored the rest of the party standing there with him. This was obviously a trap. 'Twas a good thing Bridget had a trick or tow of her own up her sleeve. Alistair gaped at Bridget.

"Why didn't you try to stop him, he could be killed he could,"

Bridget held up the key and raised an eyebrow. Alistair furrowed his brow and looked genuinely confused.

"But how did you…he didn't even give it to you…"

Bridget smirked and headed towards the windmill.

"My brother taught me lots of things…pick-pocketing from the distracted being one of them."

Alistair smiled. It seemed to him he would learn something new and fascinating about his fellow Warden each and every day. Bridget entered the windmill with the others trailing behind her. The trap door was quite visible in the ground with only a few sacks of hay covering it up. Bridget placed the key in the trap door and turned it. When she heard the distinctive _click_ she withdrew the key, slipped it in her pack and opened the trap door. Stone steps led into darkness. Bridget stood and looked at the others.

"Well…here goes."


	11. Chapter 10: Redcliffe Castle

Chapter 10

Redcliffe Castle

Bridget and the others descended the ominous stone steps and found themselves in the basement of the castle. Bridget drew her sword and shield as she heard the familiar screeching noise in the distance.

"Great…more undead skeletons!" She said with fake enthusiasm.

Bridget could distinctively hear Alistair chuckle. The group fought their way to another staircase and climbed it quickly only to find, (not to anyone's surprise anymore) more of the undead skeletons to great them nicely! After slaughtering two fanged corpses, Bridget for the first time noticed that they were now in the dungeon as their was a man standing behind bars staring at them.

"Help…help me please!"

Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"Bridget…if you help yet another hopeless being I swear I…wait…this man is a mage."

Bridget did not noticed his distinctive robes at first but after Morrigan's note…she did notice that the man was in fact a mage…and he was behind bars…which could only mean one thing. Bridget crossed her arms.

"Let me guess…this is all your mess, isn't it?"

The man shook his head.

"Please let me explain what has happened. My name is Jowan. I was hired by the Arlessa to train her son, Connor."

Alistair's eyes widened.

"The boy is a mage? Why was he not sent to the Circle?" he asked.

Jowan sighed.

"Lady Isolde did not want to part with the boy, after all, he is her only son. She hired me to begin to teach him…"

Morrigan raised her eyebrows.

"Trying to blame this mess on a child? Surely you will not stoop that low. There is no possible way that one boy could be responsible for all of this. This is blood magic we are talking about, after all."

Jowan sighed and placed his hands around two of the bars of his cell.

"No…it is not Connor's fault. But I am not responsible for the abominations either! I was hired for another job before the Arlessa hired me for her son…"

Alistair shifted his weight between his feet and whispered,

"I don't like this…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows as she stared at Jowan. What ever it was that he did…he certainly seemed sorry for it.

"Teyrn Loghain hired me to poison Arl Eamon. He is clinging to his life now because of me…but I swear to you in the name of the Maker and Andraste that I did not cause the undead to rise and attack the village!"

Leliana shook her head.

"You should not swear to the Maker or Andraste when you are clearly guilty for what you have done here. An innocent man lays dying and you say you are not responsible for anything else befalling this city? This is your mess, all of it! Do you realize how many people have died because of you?" she stated.

Jowan drew his brows together.

"This was not my fault…please if you will release me I can help you! I will not be able to cure the Arl…but I will be able to lift the curse that befalls the village…"

Alistair whispered to Bridget,

"I don't trust this guy. Whose to say as soon as we open that cell door he won't kill us all?"

Morrigan raised her eyebrows.

"If we release you, we will kill you. Simple as that."

Alistair looked at her.

"Does everything end in killing with you?" he asked.

Morrigan grinned evilly.

"I do not know Alistair…would you like to find out?"

Alistair gulped.

"Point taken…"

Bridget shook her head.

"I think it best if you remain in your cell for now, Jowan."

Jowan sighed and nodded.

"Very well."

Bridget and the others pressed on, killing any abominations that they came across along the way. Upon reaching the court yard, Bridget threw open the gate allowing Ser Peth and his soldiers entry and they helped them with the abominations in the courtyard and the Arcane Horror in the corner. At long last they made it to the main hall where Teagan was and well, let's just say he was acting _very _strange. Bridget and the others slowed their pace as they approached the others in the room. Teagan was doing back flips and walking on his hands, Isolde was sobbing uncontrollably, and a boy who Bridget assumed was Connor, was grinning at them all malevolently.

"Who is this, mother?"

Bridget's eyes widened. The child had a very deep and demonic voice. She had wanted to think that puberty had hit him early…but knew that that, of course couldn't be an option…

"She is a woman Connor…like me." Isolde said feebly.

Connor cast his eyes back on Bridget. Bridget stared into them, wanting to show him that she was not afraid, of him at least.

"Why are you here?" he demanded.

Bridget took a deep breath.

"I am here to see your father." She replied.

Connor quirked a brow.

"My father you say? My father lies dying in his room, pathetic way to go if you ask me."

"Connor!" Isolde shouted.

Connor turned on her.

"Did you just shout at me? Do you _really_ think that you are in any position to give me orders?" he yelled.

Isolde fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands.

"Nobody tells me what to do!" Connor shouted.

He waved his hand and ran from the room. Immediately the guards that were closest to him were entranced and began to attack, even Teagan himself. They were easy to knock out and thankfully that brought Teagan out of his trance. Isolde went rushing to his side.

"Oh Teagan…what are we to do now?"

Teagan looked at her.

"We need the mage, Isolde. I believe he is our only option."

Bridget could see the resentment on her face, but Isolde ordered one of the guards to bring Jowan anyway, despite how much she disliked the idea. When he arrived, he explained the first option.

"The first, and easiest option is to kill the boy…"

Bridget vehemently refused this, as did the others. Jowan went on to explain a ritual to rid Connor of the demon but of course it too had its downside.

"In order for this to work though…there must be a sacrifice…"

"Then let it be me, I am Connor's mother, there is no one else fitting."

Alistair, (who had been very quiet until this point) stepped forward and said,

"No Isolde…there must be another way."

Isolde looked at him and her eyes widened.

"Alistair…is that you?" she asked in disbelief.

Bridget raised an eyebrow. Before Alistair could reply, Jowan suggested,

"The only other option is to use lyrium but to be able to do that we would need the aid from the Circle of Magi."

Bridget looked up.

"The Circle of Magi is not far from here!" she exclaimed.

Isolde shook her head.

"But…what if we run out of time…Connor will not last much longer with that demon eating away at him."

Bridget crossed her arms.

"Do you _really_ want to sacrifice yourself when there is an option that allows both of you to live?" she asked.

Isolde looked at her feet and sighed.

"I suppose you are right." She said after a pause.

Bridget nodded.

"Right then, we'll set out immediately."

Teagan bowed.

"Thank you so much." He whispered.

Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"Do not thank us yet, foolish man. What if the Circle is in no condition to help us hmm?"

Leliana shook her head.

"Must you always damper everyone's spirits?"

Before leaving the castle, Bridget noticed something on a desk nearby. She was able to slip away from the others for a moment to inspect what it was. Bridget took the shining thing in her hand. It was a silver pendant with Andraste's symbol engraved into it. She slipped it in her pack without anyone being the wiser and rejoined her party.

"We'll set out at once and return with the help of the mages." Bridget promised.

With that, she and the others turned and left the castle. All of them came to a joined agreement that they should set up camp at least for a few hours to rest up and eat. Then it was off to the Lake Calenhad docks and onto the Tower.


	12. Chapter 11: The Spoiled Princess

Chapter 11

The Spoiled Princess

As the party exited Redcliffe Village, the clouds that had swallowed the stars that night finally erupted and rain poured down on them relentlessly. Bridget threw on her cloak and pulled up its hood. Zeus whined and shook the water off of him, splattering it all over poor Alistair.

"We will not be able to camp like this. I believe there is an inn near the docks…we will have to stay there for the night." Morrigan stated.

Leliana nodded in agreement.

"We will all catch our deaths if we stay out in this weather through the night."

Bridget sighed. She wasn't exactly sure of their money situation, but knew that Leliana was right. If any of them were to fall ill and they were ambushed by Darkspawn they would not be as quick with their swords. They traveled for about an hour and a half in the relentless downpour. Bridget was soaked through the bone and tried her hardest not to shiver. Fereldon was infamous for it's cold weather though…and the rain felt like thin shears of ice flying across her skin. At long last Bridget saw a building in the distance.

"Is that it?" she asked.

Leliana nodded.

"Yes, this is the Spoiled Princess Inn. Let's go inside quickly!"

Bridget took her advice and the others ran to the door as well. They entered the inn and basked in how warm it was on the inside. Apparently there were a lot of travelers in this area, all of the tables were nearly full. Bridget approached the barman.

"Hello there, how can I be of service?" he asked.

Bridget looked at him.

"We need four rooms,"

The barman looked under his desk and retrieved the keys…but there were only three.

"Sorry sweets, I've only got three rooms free."

Before Bridget could say anything, Morrigan grabbed one of the keys and bounded up the stairs…as did Leliana. Only one key remained…

Alistair looked from Bridget to the key.

"Um…you're going to go and make them share…aren't you?" he asked slowly.

Bridget sighed. She was in no mood to argue and already had a terrible headache. She shook her head.

"Let's just go." She grumbled and grabbed the key.

Bridget placed four silver pieces on the table for the innkeeper and headed towards the stairs, Zeus walking by her side and wagging his tail. Alistair hurried after her.

"But…this isn't right, we can't share a room together…I'm a boy! It's…unethical!"

Bridget turned to him when she made it to the door.

"Alistair please, you know as well as I Morrigan is not going to hand over her key…and I really don't think Leliana will either. We're going to have to share the room."

Alistair swallowed nervously.

"B-But…"

Bridget gaped up at him.

"Are you that afraid of me? Do you think I'm going to _seduce_ you or something?"

Alistair's face turned a brilliant shade of scarlet and he shook his head.

"Of course not I…I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with it."

Bridget placed the key in the whole and turned it.

"I'm fine, besides I'm sure there's two beds anyway."

She turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Bridget's smile faded as she saw not two beds…but one. Alistair chuckled.

"I had a feeling there would only be one."

Bridget smirked and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Why does this always happen? It's like fate is trying to get us together or something."

Alistair turned red again and closed the door behind him as he stepped in.

"Right…"

He swept his gaze around the room and noted that their was only one wash basin as well, thankfully though a wooden screen stood in front of it. Bridget noticed this too and placed her hands on her hips.

"Damn…hey Alistair you wouldn't mind going downstairs while I wash up…would you?" she asked.

Alistair shook his head and was already halfway out the door.

"Of course not, I'll get something to eat…I'll order something for you, too."

With that Alistair closed the door and hurried down the stairs. He could not believe that Morrigan and Leliana would not even think of the possibility that he and Bridget would end up having to share a room together. As Alistair entered the downstairs portion of the end, he saw Leliana just finishing a meal. He strode over to her and said,

"Why did you take the key? You and Bridget should share a room, I should have my own!"

Leliana stood from her seat and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh come now, Alistair…isn't this what you wanted?"

Alistair furrowed his brow. Leliana had a sneaky grin spread across her face.

"What do you mean…?" he asked.

Leliana smiled.

"Bridget is beautiful, is she not? I've seen the way you look at her, Alistair. I recognize_ that_ look anywhere I see it."

Alistair shook his head.

"What are you talking about? Of course I look at Bridget, she's our leader…who else am I supposed to look at?"

Leliana smirked.

"Oh no Alistair…you do not understand. When you look at her…your whole expression changes! Your eyes are filled with so much emotion! I bet your heart flutters every time she speaks to you!"

Alistair gaped at her.

"I cannot believe we are having this conversation." He said as he buried his bashful face in his hands.

Leliana patted him on his shoulder.

"I took my key because I see this as a way for you and your fellow Warden to…well get to know each other a bit more. Morrigan took her key because she just wanted a room to herself. I took mine for the greater good of love!"

Before Alistair could say anything else, Leliana skipped merrily off towards the staircase. Alistair frowned and turned to the fireplace. There was a table near it and he sat at the table, wanting to warm his chilled bones. A waitress hurried over to him and he ordered himself and Bridget some stew. Bridget descended the staircase and walked over to join him at the table. She sat in her seat. Alistair looked up at her and was going to explain the ridiculous conversation he and Leliana had just had…but found his voice caught in his throat. Bridget's complexion had completely changed. Alistair had always seen her tired and worn from traveling and fighting…only being able to wash up in rivers and streams but after having a proper bath…Bridget looked completely well rested. Her skin looked smooth and soft, like that of a baby's. Her eyes shined with laughter and her hair looked clean and brushed…still pulled back into a bun. Alistair noticed that she decided not to put her armor back on and she sat in front of him wearing a simple tunic and trousers.

"I'm starving!" she exclaimed.

Alistair blinked and smiled.

"I ordered you some beef stew…is that alright?"

Bridget nodded and grinned.

"It's perfect."

The waitress returned with their bowls of stew and poured them each a steaming cup of tea. Bridget thanked her and took a large sip of her tea and then tore into her stew. Bridget pulled a piece off of the loaf of bread that sat in between their bowls and dunk it into her stew.

"I'm really sorry about how this turned out, Alistair. We'll have to have a talk with Leliana and Morrigan about it."

Alistair shrugged.

"It's alright…I was more worried about how you would react. I don't mind sharing a room with you though…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows and looked at him. Alistair blushed and cleared his throat.

"Not that I'm expecting you or us to do anything I mean…um…great stew isn't it?" he asked nervously.

Bridget chuckled and returned to her meal.

"You're cute when you're bashful."

Alistair laughed nervously again and cleared his throat.

"Well, I've finished. I'm going to go upstairs and clean myself up…looks like you've still got quite a bit food left so I'm sure I'll be finished by the time you're done."

He quickly stood, banged his head on a hanging beam and hurried off back upstairs. Bridget chuckled to herself.

"Funny…he's not afraid of a wave of Darkspawn but of a simple conversation with me."

Bridget continued to eat her meal slowly. She savored the stew, as it was quite delicious…better than anything they had had on the road so far. It was nice to have something other than dried meat and stale bread for once. Bridget cleaned her bowl and sat back in the chair, patting her stomach. The waitress came by to remove the bowls and Bridget was about to pay for the meal but the waitress said,

"Oh no need, the gentleman that was with you already paid."

Bridget smiled and thanked the waitress. She stood and walked towards the staircase and up the stairs. Bridget stood outside the room and knocked gently.

"Alistair…are you decent?" she asked.

Alistair, who had been looking at something in his pack immediately pushed the item back inside and stood.

"Y-Yes." He replied.

Bridget entered the room, much to Zeus's delight as he ran towards her, tail wagging. She closed the door behind her and rubbed Zeus's belly before walking over towards the bed. Bridget noticed a pillow and a blanket splayed out on the floor and raised her eyebrows.

"You don't intend to sleep there…do you?" she asked.

Alistair looked from her to the floor and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well…"

Bridget rolled her eyes and climbed atop the bed.

"Oh Alistair, I'm not going to bite! Come on up and get in with me, our body heat will keep both of us warm, and you're not going to be comfortable down there in the least."

Alistair blushed and slowly handed Bridget the pillow and blanket. He slowly began to walk around to the other side of the bed. Bridget rolled her eyes.

"Oh Alistair if you are that frightened I can have Zeus lay in between us."

Alistair looked over at the war dog and shook his head. Zeus would easily take up most of the bed and that would mean either Bridget or Alistair would end up landing on the floor.

"N-No It's alright…"

Alistair sat on the other side of the bed and faced Bridget. She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Are you really that afraid of me?" she asked softly.

Alistair shook his head.

"No…that's not it. I-I told you I grew up in the Chantry…didn't I?" he asked slowly.

Bridget nodded.

"Well…in the Chantry we were taught to be gentlemen to women…and I was there all my life…and as I've said before there were no other women in the Grey Wardens…"

Bridget's eyes widened.

"Oh…you mean…you've never…"

Alistair smirked.

"Never what? There are endless answers to things I've never done."

Next thing he knew, Bridget had hit him with a pillow. Alistair laughed, as did Bridget.

"Oh you know what I mean."

The tips of Alistair's ears turned bright red and he felt himself become warm under his collar.

"Well…it's not like I haven't thought about it, not saying that I have, because I haven't,"

Bridget giggled and rose up her hand.

"It's alright Alistair, you don't have to explain. I understand now why you were not keen on the idea of sharing a room with me."

Alistair sighed happily.

"Thank you for not pressing the matter…it's not something I like to discuss. On a completely different note…I'm glad we're seeking the help of the mages…why did you decide to spare Connor's life when the easiest route would've been to kill him, not that I wanted you to or anything…that's more of Morrigan's thinking."

Bridget smiled and adverted her gaze to stare out the window on the far wall.

"Connor reminded me of Orhen. That was the main reason. That and I was not about to kill a child." She replied softly.

Alistair nodded.

"I'm glad things turned out this way. I hope the mages will be able to help us."

Bridget looked at him.

"So do I. It would tear me up if we had to go back and…" she couldn't finish the sentence.

Bridget sighed.

"We need to get some sleep, Alistair."

Alistair nodded.

"Agreed, I'm exhausted."

Bridget laid back and got under the covers, as did Alistair. She turned and blew the candle out, leaving the room in darkness. Bridget turned back and looked at Alistair.

"Good night." She whispered.

Alistair stared at her.

"Good night." He replied.


	13. Chapter 12: The Kiss Almost

Chapter 12

The Kiss (Almost)

Alistair slowly opened his eyes and stared at the wooden ceiling above him. The sun was rising, spilling it's dim, yellow light into the room. Alistair took a deep breath and his nostrils were filled with the scent of cinnamon. He looked down and his eyes widened. How could he have completely forgotten the events of the night before? More importantly…how had Bridget ended up so close to him when she had put as much distance between them as possible? Bridget's head rested on Alistair's shoulder, her golden blond hair tickling the bottom of his chin. Her arm was atop his chest and reached all the way to his side as if she had a protective hold on him. Alistair continued to stare down at her. Bridget's body rose and fell steadily with the deep breathing of her sleep. Her long eye lashes panned across the tops of her cheeks and her lips were red and full, plump and perfect. Alistair blushed as he noticed her shirt was slightly pulled up and a little bit of her flat stomach was visible, teasing him. Bridget's arm moved slightly and he feared she had woken up. Instead she only stirred in her sleep and her hand now rested on his chest. Alistair slowly lifted her hand in his and rubbed his calloused fingers over her silken skin. Her hand was so small compared to his…but Alistair noticed that it fit in his perfectly…as if her hand was made specifically for his hand to hold. Before he realized what he was doing, Alistair had brought her hand to his lips and kissed it ever so lightly. He looked down at Bridget to see if she had stirred and thought he saw the traces of a faint smile on her lips. Alistair swallowed nervously and placed her hand back on his chest. He gently lifted her chin so that he could stare into her face at a better angle. Receiving courage from he knew not where…Alistair dipped his head to hers and placed a light kiss on her forehead. Alistair pulled back quickly and shook his head.

_Andraste's flaming sword…what's gotten into me?_

To Alistair's disappointment…Bridget began to stir. Alistair formed an idea in his head and decided to feign sleep, hoping that maybe Bridget would do something along the lines of what he had just done to her. But…wait that would be the wrong thing to do…Bridget opened her eyes before Alistair could change his mind and he laid there, perfectly still, seemingly asleep. Bridget slowly lifted her head and yawned. Alistair heard her gasp…she must've been surprised to find herself so close to him.

Bridget's eyesight came into focus and she realized that she in fact was cuddled up next to her fellow Grey Warden. How she got there…she did not know. Nan had always said she was a restless sleeper as a child…always wanted something to cling to. Apparently that was what had happened here. Bridget became restless and decided to cling to Alistair for some reason. She glanced up at his face and realized he was still asleep. Good. She didn't need him to know that she had unknowingly cuddled up to him as if he were her husband for the night. How silly…Bridget looked at his face and tipped her head to the side.

_Since he's still asleep…I see no reason why I cannot admire him from this close angle…_

Bridget trailed her eyes from Alistair's hair and down his face. She never realized how masculine his jaw was before…guessing she had just not really paid any attention to it. She gently touched the side of his face, feeling the small amount of stubble that had accumulated there over the past few days. Bridget also noticed that his shoulders were broad as well as his chest, which was what she examined next. Despite her want to lift up his shirt…she decided against it as it would be awkward to explain what she had hoped to find up there if her fellow Warden happened to wake up at that time, and with Bridget's amazing luck streak she was having lately…she knew Alistair would choose that exact moment to awaken. Bridget carefully removed herself from his side…careful not to disturb him and sat up on the bed. She slowly swung her legs over and stood, jumping slightly against the cold floor. Bridget bent down to her pack and removed her hair brush then sat atop the bed and began to remove the pins from her hair. After a small pile of pins had accumulated on the end table, Bridget winced as she ran the brush through her matted hair. What she wouldn't give for a mirror.

"May I?"

Bridget jumped at the sound of Alistair's voice. She slowly turned to see him propped up on his elbows and staring at her. He blushed and said,

"I figure since you don't have a mirror you won't be able to see the knots and…"

Bridget bit her lip.

"Is it really knotted back there?" she asked.

Alistair nodded.

"Kind of." He replied.

Bridget pouted.

"One of the downsides to long hair…I suppose you can brush it, just be gentle."

Alistair chuckled as she handed him the brush. He sat on his knees behind her and slowly ran the brush through her long tresses. After a long silence, Alistair said softly,

"How come you wear your hair up all the time?" he asked.

Bridget replied,

"It gets in the way when I leave it down…plus I don't need some Darkspawn yanking at my hair."

Alistair laughed as he came to a particularly knotted patch. Bridget hissed in pain at her hair being pulled and Alistair apologized.

"Sorry about that." He replied.

Bridget sighed.

"It's not your fault. I've been thinking of cutting it for a while now…"

Alistair shook his head.

"No don't do that…it's beautiful…in fact, you should wear it long more often…at least while we're in camp." He said softly.

Bridget blushed slightly.

"You think my hair is beautiful?" she whispered.

Alistair swallowed as he felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach.

"I do…it's soft and it resembles the color of gold, it's pretty and it suites you."

Bridget smiled. Alistair continued to slowly run the brush through her hair. At long last it was finished. Bridget turned around and smiled at him.

"Your turn!"

Alistair's hair was much easier to brush since it was so short and soon Bridget had finished. Alistair turned and smiled at her.

"Thank you, for that." He said.

Bridget smiled.

"Thank you for brushing _my_ hair…I'm sure it was quite scary back there."

Alistair chuckled.

"Not at all…" he replied softly.

Bridget felt her face flush and noticed that the tips of Alistair's ears had turned red. Alistair had absolutely no idea how or why his hand was moving towards Bridget's face but it was and before he knew it, he had pushed some of her hair behind her ear…a rather intimate gesture. As he began to remove his hand, Bridget had unexpectedly placed her hand atop his. Alistair looked into her sapphire eyes and could tell that they were searching his. What was he supposed to do next? Oh curse it he was a bumbling fool when it came to this kind of stuff. Before he realized it, he was leaning towards her…Alistair's eyes were no longer staring into Bridget's but instead they were gazing at her lips. Bridge closed her eyes and leaned into Alistair. Their lips were so close…she could feel his breath upon hers! Any moment now…

_BANG BANG BANG_

Bridget jumped and nearly fell off the bed, Alistair however was not that lucky and actually did fall off of the bed.

"Are you two ready? It's already well past dawn, or have we decided not to help the fools in that village and we are just going to remain here like sitting ducks waiting for the Darkspawn?" Morrigan shouted.

Bridget quickly threw her hair up in a bun and helped Alistair with his armor.

"Can you…look away while I get dressed into mine?" she asked softly.

Alistair nodded and with all of his might bore his eyes into the wall in front of him despite the consuming temptation to take a quick peak over his shoulder. Bridget got into her armor quickly and grabbed her pack. She handed Alistair's his and they exited the room together. No one spoke as they exited the inn. As they walked near the docks, Bridget stole a glance at Alistair. His ears were red and his face was flushed. She knew he had to be thinking about what had just happened…after all…they almost kissed, who could ignore that? Bridget blinked and brought herself back to reality as they neared the docks and approached a very frustrated young templar…who would also turn out to be (or so he liked to think) the renowned 'queen of Antiva'.

A/N: I promise to get back to the main story arc next chapter! I thought this would be a cute way to start the eventual romance between Bridget and Alistair. Hope you enjoyed it, next up I promise they'll get to the Circle Tower and back to business ridding Fereldon of evil!


	14. Chapter 13: The Circle of Magi

Chapter 13

The Circle of Magi

Bridget led the others to the nearby docks hoping to board the ferry with no problems…but of course there would be someone standing there blocking their way. Bridget distinctively heard Morrigan give a disapproving groan.

"Wonderful…we're about to meet another brainless templar."

The young man looked at Bridget and raised his eyebrows.

"You there, what do you think you're doing?" he asked.

Bridget stopped and looked at him.

"Well I'm trying to board the ferry." She stated.

The templar shook his head.

"Nope, sorry I can't let you do that why don't you turn around and go on somewhere else now."

Bridget frowned.

"Look, I'm a Grey Warden and I need the mage's help, a child's life is at stake here! Who are you anyway?"

The templar raised an eyebrow.

"The name's Carroll, and you're a Grey Warden are you? Got any proof?"

Bridget heaved a frustrated sigh and removed the treaties from her pack. She handed them to Carroll.

"Now do you believe me?"

Carroll noticed the distinctive seal of the Grey Warden and shrugged. Bridget smiled, glad that he was letting them pass until he replied,

"You know I've got some documents too, they say I'm the queen of Antiva. What do you think of that?"

Bridget narrowed her eyes and grabbed Carroll by the arm.

"Listen, Arl Eamon's son's life is at stake here, let me and my friends pass or have the death of an innocent child on your conscious for the rest of your life."

Carroll looked over Bridget and the others.

"Perhaps if you leave the lovely lady with the dark hair with me…"

Morrigan rolled her eyes, muttered something under her breath, and the next thing Bridget knew, she was holding the leg of a toad. Alistair's jaw dropped.

"You were actually serious? You can actually do that?"

Morrigan looked at him.

"Well Alistair you have just had a visual example of this…do you wish to join this buffoon and croak to your heart's content?"

Alistair shook his head.

"Not really, no." he replied.

Morrigan looked at the ferry.

"I shall remain here while you do your business in the tower. Being that I am an apostate…the Circle of Magi is not the best place for me to go, what with those idiot templar fools running amuck. I will stay at the inn, come and get me when your business is done."

Leliana nodded.

"I think I will stay behind with Morrigan as well. We need some more supplies so I will buy them!" she exclaimed.

Before Bridget could say anything, the two of them walked away and back to the inn. Alistair gaped after them. His conversation with Leliana came to mind and Alistair began to wonder if she and Morrigan were in cahoots with each other, trying to get him and Bridget into some type of relationship or something.

"Are you coming, Alistair?" she asked.

Alistair turned to see that Bridget and Zeus already had boarded the ferry. He hurried towards it and sat next to her. They were quiet for a few minutes…Bridget was half expecting Alistair to say something about the kiss they almost shared. When he opened his mouth to say something, Bridget looked at him, eager to hear what he had to say.

"You know…maybe we should just leave them at the inn and go straight back to Redcliffe after we get the mages to help us. What do you think?"

Bridget couldn't help but laugh. Although she was disappointed that he hadn't mentioned the incident of that morning, she was at least glad that he was still cracking jokes and acting the same. Bridget decided not to say anything about that subject…thinking it would be best for Alistair to say something first and decide where to go from there.

"As much as I would love to agree with you, we need them,"

Alistair pouted at Bridget hoping to at least leave Morrigan behind. Bridget hit him playfully in the arm.

"_Both_ of them, Alistair." She replied.

Alistair sighed.

"Oh well…can't say I didn't try!"

The ferry slowed as they arrived to the opposite docks near the Circle Tower. Bridget, Zeus, and Alistair all exited the ferry and entered the tower to see it filled with worried looking templars. Bridget sighed.

"Why must every place we go to be in a chaotic state?" she whispered.

Alistair chuckled.

"I'd guess it be no fun if everything was good and fine." He replied.

Bridget approached a burly looking man with heavy armor.

"How did you get in here, Carroll was supposed to refuse entry." The man stated.

Bridget looked at him.

"I'm a Grey Warden; I have come to seek the mages help against the Blight,"

He held up his hand.

"Save it, we're in no shape to help you right now. I am Greagoir, the Knight Commander."

Alistair shook his head.

"What's going on…why is that door barred?" he asked.

Bridget noticed this as Alistair had said it. The templars, for some reason, had barred the door and had two men guarding it. Whatever was going on in there, they certainly didn't want it to come out.

Greagoir sighed.

"There are abominations and demons running all through the tower. We had to seal the door and keep them inside. The Tower has fallen…we no longer have control over it."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"Do you mean you locked away the mages with those demons?" she asked.

Greagoir nodded.

"We had no choice; I don't expect you to understand,"

"That doesn't give you the right to trap innocent mages and children within the Tower to be left for dead!"

"Bridget's right, sir, what you are doing here is wrong." Alistair agreed.

Greagoir threw his hands up in the air.

"What do you expect me to do, hmm? I've already lost too many men inside the Tower; I can't afford to lose any more!"

Bridget crossed her arms.

"I'll go and help the mages then seeing as how you will not." She stated.

Greagoir gaped at her.

"Are you insane, have you even _seen_ an abomination?"

Bridget thought back to Connor and nodded her head.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have. Look, I need the mages help…I'm willing to help them regain the Tower again."

After a long moment, Greagoir sighed and said,

"Fine, you bring me the First Enchanter and I'll believe that the Tower has been restored."

Bridget nodded.

"First Enchanter got it."

She led Alistair and Zeus over to the barred door as it was now opened for them and they entered the Tower. The door immediately closed behind them. Bridget drew her weapon as did Alistair and she began to lead the way. Bridget's boots echoed off of the stone floor, making the setting all the more eerie. They came to a door and opened it to discover some mages. A woman with white hair and blue eyes whipped around to them, about to attack…but lowered her staff.

"Alistair…Bridget?" she asked.

Alistair grinned.

"Wynne! Oh I can't tell you how good it is to see you again!"

Bridget smiled and nodded.

"We've come to help you; I need the mage's help."

Wynne nodded.

"Of course…I am glad you have come to help us. As you can see, I have erected a barrier, barring out the abominations and demons from harming us. I will remove the barrier long enough for us to get across, then I must put it back in place again."

Bridget looked at her.

"Very well. Greagoir says he will not believe the Tower is back to normal unless the First Enchanter says so."

Wynne sighed.

"We must fine Irving, then. Our Tower was taken over by Uldred. He was a fine mage…but he became blind with the powers of blood magic. This is all his doing. If we find Uldred…I am most certain we will find Irving."

Bridget nodded.

"Let us be off, then."

Wynne stepped up to the barrier and waved her hand. It disappeared and Bridget and the others ran through it. Once on the other side, Wynne performed the enchantment and the barrier rose again. An all too familiar screeching filled the air. Bridget took her sword and shield in her hand.

"Here we go."

Bridget, Alistair, Wynne and Zeus fought their way through the Tower. Greagoir was not lying about the abomination part…they riddled the halls and every room they entered. Bridget was not surprised when she and the others came across their first group of blood mages, keeping Uldred's work going. She wasn't aware of how much time had passed or what floor they were on any more. All that mattered was getting to Irving before Uldred turned him into an abomination like the others. Bridget threw open another random door and Wynne stated that they were in Irving's quarters. Bridget noticed a very old, beaten, black book sitting atop his desk. She placed it in her pack, thinking that perhaps Morrigan would know what it was. After looking around Irving's office a bit more, Bridget led the others back out and down the corridor. She opened the door to find more stairs and climbed them as fast as she could. Waiting at the top were possessed templars. Bridget felt bad for having to kill them, since they were not themselves but Wynne reassured her that they were too far gone. Another flight of stairs and five abominations and a blood mage later, Bridget stumbled into another room. This room was dark and very quiet, unlike the other rooms that they had been to. A body lay not too far in front of them and despite all her want to drop her guard because of the relaxing state of the room, Bridget pressed forward. "Ah…what have we here?" a deep, rumbling voice whispered.

Bridget and the others turned to see a new kind of abomination coming towards them. Bridget grimaced at the sight of him. His face was warped…it looked as if his skin had melted and had re-grown in the wrong places. His stench was worse than that of the Darkspawn…Bridget shook her head.

"What are you?"

The demon did not answer her question and replied,

"Don't you want to rest your head? You have come a very long way, killed so many things and climbed so many stairs. You should rest lest you want the fine lines of age to appear sooner on your pretty face."

Zeus hit the floor, out cold. Bridget felt her eyelids become heavy. It felt as if her entire body were shutting down, her breathing slowly became more shallow…another thud, it was Alistair this time. Bridget dropped to her hands and knees. She turned her head in time to see Wynne collapse next to Zeus.

"Go on now…sleep…"

Bridget closed her eyes…and was gone.


	15. Chater 14: Enter the Fade

Chapter 14

Enter the Fade

Bridget slowly opened her eyes and shook her head. She furrowed her brow, noticing and not recognizing the strange area she was in. Everything was cast in the orange glow that twilight brings. Bridget stood and began to explore her surroundings. At first she thought she was back at Ostagar…but this place was different. There were mountains here that stood tall and proud, their tips almost touching the clouds. Bridget continued to walk forward and turned her head. She gasped slightly at who was standing a few feet away from her. Duncan…it was Duncan. Bridget ran up to him.

"Duncan?" she asked.

Duncan smiled at her.

"Ah there you are, how are you enjoying Weisshaupt?"

Bridget shook her head.

"I-I don't understand…you're supposed to be dead." She replied softly.

Duncan chuckled.

"Me? Dead? Oh dear girl, not yet for me. I've still got some time left in these old bones. Why did you think I would be dead?"

Bridget gaped at him.

"You perished in the Battle of Ostagar, along with King Cailan and the majority of our troops!"

Duncan laughed again.

"Nonsense, absolute nonsense! The Blight is over, dear. That is why we are here in Weisshaupt. The other Grey Wardens and I have established here. Come and take a look around,"

Bridget took a step back.

"No, this is a lie…a dream. You're dead because Teyrn Loghain left King Cailan to die on the battle field!" she shouted.

Duncan narrowed his eyes.

"Teyrn Loghain is the reason we won at Ostagar, Bridget. Now stop shouting and come with me,"

"I'm not going anywhere!"

Duncan withdrew his sword.

"Fine!" he snapped in a voice that was not his own, "Have it your way!"

Bridget wasn't even aware she was armed. She quickly withdrew her shield and blocked Duncan's blow, stumbling backwards just a bit. She withdrew her sword and closed her eyes as she slashed at him. She felt warm liquid spray across her face and the rest of her. Bridget opened her eyes slightly to see Duncan at her feet. She sighed and shook her head.

"Where am I?" she asked herself softly.

Bridget turned and noticed a very intricate pedestal standing in the nearby corner. She slowly walked over to it, not dropping her guard for a second. For all she knew this could be another trap like Duncan. She looked into the pedestal and was transported to another place. This time she was not alone…a mage stood not too far from her with a worried look across his face. He hadn't noticed her. Bridget slowly walked towards him…not dropping her guard for a second.

"Hello?" she asked softly.

The mage turned to her and looked at her.

"So he's trapped you here too, hasn't he?" the mage asked slowly.

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"What is this place?" she asked slowly.

The mage sighed.

"This is the Fade…only accessible to mages…unless a demon traps you here as is the case with you and me. My name is Niall."

"I'm Bridget. What trapped us here…was it that abomination?"

Niall took a deep breath and began to explain.

"That was no abomination that trapped us here; he was a demon to his core. He calls himself Sloth. This is what he does…trap people within the Fade and makes them either go insane or have terrible nightmares. For some though the nightmares will be a nirvana. I have tried and tried to get out…but I cannot."

Niall turned and beckoned for Bridget to follow him. She did and he walked over to a small hole in the ground. A hole that was only large enough for a mouse.

"I've seen these around…and I know they lead to other places…but I do not know how to get there. As you can see this is only big enough for a mouse…"

Niall walked next over to the pedestal that Bridget used to teleport herself here.

"This is what we mages call a Fade Pedestal. I've studied the ancient runes on it. Apparently this is how you navigate within the Fade to other realms. The Sloth demon is in the center island, but there are five other islands surrounding him, each with their own respective demon protecting Sloth. These demons however are hidden behind invisible doors…to the human eye that is. If you could some how transform into a spirit, you may be able to see them. How you would do that though…I do not have the answer."

Bridget looked up and noticed a purple haze in the distance.

"Can you tell me what that is?" she asked.

Niall turned and nodded.

"That is a Fade Portal. It will transport you somewhere else within this realm…not to another island. I have not dared to traverse it though…as you can see I am unarmed and this is the only place where there are no abominations. You however are armed…you could go, if you wanted to. That may be the only way to get out."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"What about my friends? Are they here too?"

Niall nodded.

"If they were with you when you encountered Sloth, then they too were placed under his spell. They are most likely within another realm…you are the only other I have seen."

Bridget looked at him.

"So if I can get to the demons in the five different realms and kill them,"

Niall nodded.

"You may then reach Sloth. Killing him is the only way out of this…madness."

Bridget nodded.

"Thank you, Niall."

Niall sighed.

"You are very brave, far braver than I can ever hope to be. Good luck, my friend."

Bridget nodded and walked passed him. She stepped into the purple haze and felt a jolt behind her navel…like a hook grabbing her and flinging her somewhere else. She was thrown on the ground but noticed that she was indeed in a different place.

"Help! Someone help me!"

Bridget could not see what was calling for help, but immediately killed the rage demon that was a few feet ahead of her.

"Thank you so much."

Bridget looked around for the person that the voice belonged to…but still could see no one.

"Down here!"

Bridget looked down and noticed a mouse at her feet. His small eyes looked up at her.

"For helping me…I grant you my power. You must go and save everyone you can! Learn the other forms!"

"How do I access this power you have granted me? I am not a mage." Bridget replied.

The mouse blinked.

"Think of transforming into the form, and you will."

With that, he disappeared before her very eyes. Bridget noticed a mouse hole no too far from where she stood. She closed her eyes and thought about mice. Immediately her whole body felt weird. Bridget felt her bones become smaller and smaller, she looked around and noticed that everything was becoming large. Before she knew it…she stood as a mouse. Bridget hurriedly ran to the mouse hole and entered it. After digging her way through, she reappeared at the end of the tunnel and saw Niall standing a few feet away from her. Bridget concentrated her thoughts on being human again and with a small _pop_ she stood before Niall as her old self. His eyes widened.

"You did it! You learned a form! I am sure there are others trapped within the other realms that will teach you there forms as well. You must go, my friend…you are our only hope in saving us all!"

Bridget ran to the Fade Pedestal and looked down. Immediately she was transported to another realm.

Bridget slightly stumbled as she arrived in the new realm and looked around. A deep voice whispered in her ear:

_This is the Darkspawn invasion realm. Let us see if you are as tough against them in your dreams…_

Bridget shook her head. She felt chills all over her body at the coldness of the voice. Bridget noticed a mouse hole and transformed. Bridget dug through the tunnel and exited the other end, only to see Darkspawn in the distance. She immediately transformed back into a human and engaged them full. There were two Hurlock Alphas and a Genlock Emissary. They were difficult to take care of since she was by herself…but Bridget managed to dispose of them quickly enough and ran down the hall. She entered another room and discovered another mouse hole. Bridget took a deep breath and transformed again. On the other side, there were more Darkspawn…and a spirit of some kind. Bridget transformed back to her usual self and aided the spirit in combat. He was a templar…perhaps one of Greagoir's men who had the unfortunate meeting with the Sloth demon. Soon, the Darkspawn and been vanquished. The templar turned to Bridget and said,

"Thank you for your help, friend…you have released me. In return for your help I grant you the Spirit form. With this form…you will be able to discover the demons that protect Sloth. Save the others!"

He too, disappeared before Bridget's eyes. Another Fade Pedestal had appeared in the corner. Bridget ran over to it and journeyed back to the Raw Fade where Niall was. Since she had the Spirit form now, at least she could deal with the demon that was behind the door there. Bridget reappeared in the Raw Fade and transformed into a Spirit. This felt much different than transforming into a mouse. All of Bridget's senses were heightened in this form. She slowly glided to the now visible door and passed through it easily...it was an odd feeling, passing through the stone. Bridget could hear soft whispers in her ear…as if the aged rock was speaking to her. The demon Yevena was present on the other side. Within Spirit form, Bridget had the ability to cast magic. Doing so left the tips of her fingers tingly…and Yevena lay before her, relinquished of all life. And so the first protector of Sloth died.

Bridget passed through the door again and heard the familiar whispers. Upon returning to the other side, Bridget transformed into her self again and smiled at Niall.

"That's one." She stated.

Niall nodded.

"Good luck with the others."

Bridget ran towards the Fade Pedestal and was teleported to another realm. She was once again unaware of her surroundings until that ghastly whisper was in her ear:

_Hope you like fire…you won't encounter much else here._

Bridget shook the voice from her mind and began to traverse through the tower. The voice was right…most pathways were blocked by barriers of fire. It was difficult to breathe with all of the smoke held within the rooms. At last she came upon a room with numerous corpses that were ablaze battling a templar. She helped him in defeating the abominations.

"Thank you. In return I will provide you with the Burning Man form. You will be able to walk through the flames and not be harmed. The demon in this realm does not lie behind a spirit door."

He paused and pointed to a large door behind him. It looked impossible to pick and had very intricate carvings within it. The door was made of steel.

"The demon of this realm lies behind that door…but you will not be able to get to him unless you have some type of strong force. Perhaps you will find it in another realm?"

With that, the man disappeared. Bridget turned and noticed another Fade Pedestal. Walking over to it, she looked into it and this time a map was available to view. She could easily navigate to the other realms now. Bridget took a moment to study it. The place on the map marked as the Raw Fade had some sort of odd symbol next to it. Perhaps that rune marked that the demon from that realm had been dealt with. Bridget noticed that the middle island was grey…not available to access yet. She also noticed that three other marks on the map were also grey. Perhaps that's where the others were? Bridget went to the next dot on the map and was teleported there instantly. Her surroundings were unknown again…and the voice whispered softly:

_I hope you enjoy dealing with the maleficar that are trapped here…along with those poor, crazed Chantry priests._

Bridget ignored the voice and pressed forward. A fire blocked her way out of the room so Bridget transformed into the Burning Man. This form had to be the most interesting. She could feel nothing…as if all her nerves and senses were gone…walking through the fire made her feel warm and safe. After passing through the fire blockade, Bridget came across some crazed mages and (with slight difficulty) managed to kill them. She continued to fight her way through this mysterious realm, tossing fire balls as the Burning Man and crushing others as the Spirit. At long last she came to the room were there was another, normal person. Bridget helped him dispatch the enemies. Some where large, rock creatures…golems in fact. With the last one dead, Bridget turned to the dreamer.

"Thank you. I grant you perhaps the most important form you will need. This form will allow you to transform into a Golem, meaning that you can withstand just about anything and break down those intricate steel doors. You must hurry and kill the other demons. Sloth must die!"

He disappeared and Bridget pressed forward, running up the nearby staircase and coming to a steel door. She smirked and transformed into a Golem which was quite…interesting. She could feel nothing, but was rather slow moving. She punched the steel door and it shattered like glass upon contact. Bridget was now face to face with Slavren, the demon of this realm. She transformed into the Burning Man and shot a couple of fire balls at him to keep him at a distance, then her final move was a crushing prison spell in Spirit form and he was finished. And so the second protector of Sloth was dead. A Fade Pedestal appeared in the corner and Bridget fled to it. Knowing now that she had acquired all of the forms, she could kill the protectors, find her friends, and get back to the real world. Bridget transported herself back to the realm with the Darkspawn and ran for the steel door. She tore it down as a Golem and was face to face with Uthkiel the Crusher, a giant ogre…perhaps the biggest one Bridget had ever seen! He was a formidable foe…it was difficult to deal with him, even in Golem form. Bridget killed him and thus another Fade Portal appeared. And so the third protector of Sloth was dead. Bridget went back to her human form and ran for the Pedestal. She went back to the burning tower and traversed as the burning man until she finally came to find the fourth demon, Rhagos. Bridget transformed into the Spirit as the Burning Man form would do no good sense Rhagos was a rage demon. She was able to freeze him and attack him while he stood frozen. He fell at her feet soon after…and so the fourth protector of Sloth was dead. Acquiring the new Fade Pedestal, Bridget next went to an area she had not been to yet, but it was not one of the three that were distant and off to the side. She easily found the spirit door in this realm and transformed to pass through it. The demon, Vereveel playfully said,

"Catch me if you can!"

She transformed into a mouse and disappeared beyond the hole. Bridget transformed and followed her. She emerged in a chamber of sorts and transformed into a Spirit to deal with her. Vereveel was not very strong, and easily died. And so the fifth protector of Sloth was dead. Bridget transformed back into a human and ran to the Pedestal. Looking into it and at the map…the three areas were now available to venture to, as was the middle island with Sloth. Bridget opted to travel through these other realms first, hoping that perhaps her friends were within the realms somewhere. Bridget went to the one on the far left first. Since she was now used to Fade Pedestal transport, she no longer stumbled when landing in a new realm. Bridget saw Alistair in the distance and ran towards him. She had never been so happy to see someone in her entire life! Her grin faded as she noticed the look on his face. His eyes were glazed over and he looked rather dazed…more so than usual. Bridget furrowed her brow at the woman that stood near him, as well as the children towards the back.

"Alistair?" Bridget asked him.

Alistair grinned when he saw her.

"Oh I'm so glad you're here! I was hoping you would come! Goldanna here is my sister, and she's making supper for all of us! Say you'll stay, please?"

Bridget furrowed her brow. Alistair never mentioned a sister before…but wait…this was the Fade after all. Perhaps he conjured up a make believe sister in his heart because of the fact that he has no real family…and the Sloth demon used that to his advantage and had tricked Alistair into thinking he had a real sister…a real family.

Bridget shook her head.

"Alistair, listen to me, this is a dream, none of this is real!" She exclaimed.

Alistair laughed.

"What are you talking about…of course this is real!"

Goldanna walked up to stand next to him.

"Shall I make an extra plate, brother?" she asked as she stared at Bridget with black, empty eyes.

Alistair turned back to Bridget.

"Say you'll stay, please? Goldanna makes the best pie!"

Bridget shook her head.

"I can't stay, and you shouldn't either, Alistair."

He raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Bridget looked at him.

"Think about how you got here…think _really_ hard."

Alistair shook his head and put his hand on his forehead.

"I remember a tower…and…and some abomination or something,"

Bridget nodded.

"Yes! We're in the Fade, trapped by the Sloth demon!"

Alistair looked at her.

"So this isn't real?" he asked sadly.

Bridget shook her head.

"No…it isn't, you need to come with me, right now."

"_He is ours! You will not have him!"_ Goldanna shouted in a demonic voice.

She and the children transformed into hideous abominations…screeching and clawing at them. Bridget and Alistair quickly took care of them. After they lay dead…Alistair shook his head.

"Wow…I can't believe this was all a dream…hey wait…what's going on?"

He too disappeared before Bridget. Bridget sighed.

"I hope he's alright. Perhaps now he's back in the real world. I guess I'll have to fight Sloth on my own then."

Bridget returned to the Fade Pedestal and made her way to the next area. Zeus lay a few feet ahead of her, sound asleep. His ears were twitching as was his leg. Bridget smirked.

"Well…at least some body's having a good time here."

She walked over to him and gently nudged him.

"Zeus? Come on boy, time to wake up!"

Zeus slowly lifted his head and yawned when he noticed Bridget was in front of her, he threw her down and licked her face happily, his tail wagging in pure joy.

"Haha, alright boy, that's enough!"

Zeus barked happily and pounced off of her, disappearing in the distance. Bridget returned back to the Fade Pedestal and went to the next area. Sure enough, Wynne was there…but all around her the bodies of those left back in the room at the tower surrounded her. This was a bad nightmare for her indeed. Bridget ran up to her.

"Wynne, are you alright?"

Wynne shook her head, her eyes filled with tears.

"They're gone…all of them. This is all my fault…"

Bridget shook her head.

"Wynne, we're in the Fade, this is all a trick…you have to trust me!" Bridget exclaimed.

Wynne narrowed her eyes and looked at her.

"I did trust you as a friend and ally and look at what has happened! You left me alone…and now all of this,"

Bridget nodded.

"Exactly, Wynne. Why would I leave you, think! I would never do such a thing after you have helped me countless times."

Wynne blinked and looked at the ground.

"I…something you say rings true…but,"

One of the dead mages stood.

"Do not leave us Wynne, please we need you!"

Wynne shook her head and grabbed her staff.

"I will not be fooled again by you, demon!"

The battle was a very quick one, luckily and Wynne was herself again.

"Thank you for…wait…where are you going?"

She disappeared. Bridget ran for the Pedestal and teleported herself to the center island. It was time for Sloth to die.

Bridget landed her feet on the ground and saw Sloth staring at her in the distance. She approached him with her chin held high. He would trap her and her friends no longer.

"I see you have found me." He said in that slow, deep voice.

Bridget nodded.

"This ends here." She stated.

Sloth chuckled.

"Why? You could stay here forever if you wish…it is quite a lovely and peaceful place after all."

Bridget shook her head.

"You die now!" she screamed.

Bridget heard footsteps and turned to see her companions, all with their weapons drawn.

"It is time you stopped tormenting those that have been trapped here!" Wynne cried.

Sloth narrowed what Bridget guessed were his eyes and said,

"Very well…if this is what you wish…you will learn to bow to those above you, human!"

Sloth then transformed into a large ogre which Bridget matched in strength by transforming into a Golem. His attacks were powerful, and he got in a few hits, knocking Bridget off of her feet and causing her to fall, shaking the earth and stunning her friends momentarily. She rebounded and drew back her fists and punched him square in the jaw. With the others slicing away at him, he transformed into another form…this of a rage demon. Bridget transformed into the Spirit and cast all of the cold spells at her disposal, careful to not hit one of her friends. Sloth transformed into another demon next which Bridget tossed fire balls at as the Burning Man. Finally he was in his final form, himself. Bridget transformed into her usual self and plummeted him with the others. Bridget drove her sword into his chest with all her strength and Sloth let out a horrible, terrible ear splitting screech. A dark dust engulfed him and exploded. Sloth slid off the end of the sword and fell back. And so Sloth himself was dead.

"You did it, you actually did it!"

Bridget turned to see Niall running towards them. Wynne's eyes widened.

"Niall! So it was your body we saw…"

Niall sighed sadly.

"Yes…I can still help you though. I have the one thing that can stop Uldred from making abominations…the Littany of Adralla. Take it from…my body and use it to save the Circle. It is your only hope!"

"Can you not come with us?" Bridget asked.

Niall shook his head.

"I have been trapped here for far too long…my body on the outside is most likely withered…if not already bones. It is up to you to finish my work. Please save the Circle…the mages are depending on you!"

Bridget nodded.

"I will, Niall. Thank you for all of your help."

Niall chuckled.

"I do not know what this help is that you speak of…but you are very welcome. Go now!"

The scene before Bridget's eyes faded and she felt sleepy again. She opened her eyes and realized she was back in the room where they had encountered Sloth, who now lay dead. Bridget stood along with the others, glad to be back in the real world. She found Niall's body and took the Littany of Adralla off of him. Bridget turned to Wynne.

"This will stop Uldred from making abominations out of the mages. We must hurry!"

Bridget nodded and led the others to another stair case. They climbed it, ready to face Uldred and save the Tower.


	16. Chapter 15: Uldred

Chapter 15

Uldred

Upon reaching the next floor, two baby dragons attacked the group. Since they were babies, they were not difficult to rid of as they had no wings yet. After disposing of them, Bridget ran up another flight of stairs to find a room with a templar standing behind a sort of barrier. Bridget heard crying and screaming coming from the door up a few more steps not far from them. The trapped templar narrowed his eyes.

"More of them I see…well I'm not falling for it! You may have gotten the others, but you will not break me you filthy maleficar!"

Bridget looked at him and shook her head.

"I am not a mage, and Wynne here would not hurt you."

Wynne inspected the barrier.

"I have never seen anything like this…it must be blood magic."

The templar looked at her.

"Go away demons, you will not break me!"

He shut his eyes tightly for a few seconds and re-opened them. The templar looked confused.

"You're still here? But that's always worked before!"

Bridget shook her head.

"We're not demons or a mirage of any sort. We're here to help the mages…who are you any way?"

"My name is Cullen. The remaining mages are in the Harrowing Chamber up those steps…but I think you will find them all dead. If not then they should be…they could possibly turn into abominations!"

Bridget shook her head.

"I'm not going to kill them if they are not already abominations."

Cullen gaped at her.

"Are you mad? If you let them live, whose to say some other crazed mage won't start up Uldred's work again!" he shouted.

Wynne closed her eyes and sighed.

"Uldred was far too powerful for his own good. He was blinded by his own hubris…that is why he has caused all this. I am sure if there are survivors in there, they can be saved with the Litany."

Bridget nodded.

"We will save them, Wynne. I'm sure of it."

Wynne nodded. Cullen threw his arms up in the air.

"Nobody ever listens to me. Fine, have it your way. Go get yourself killed or worse…I don't really care anymore."

Bridget ignored him and ascended the steps to the Harrowing Chamber. She entered as a man who Bridget guessed was Uldred was torturing a mage held up by two abominations. The mage screamed and grimaced as Uldred was performing some type of magic to cause him pain.

"Now…do you accept what I offer you?" he asked slowly.

The mage nodded his head. The abominations dropped him and his body immediately transformed. He screamed as his body morphed into that of an abomination's. Bridget ran forward.

"Your reign of terror stops here, Uldred."

Uldred raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? So you are the one who has been killing my creatures. Perhaps we can come to an agreement of some sort?"

Bridget narrowed her eyes and gripped the handle of her sword.

"I want nothing you offer, maleficar."

Uldred threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"Oh? Too bad. You die here then."

"Let us deal with Uldred…if you see one of the mage's glow as the one we saw when we first entered, use the Litany. It is our only hope." Wynne whispered.

Bridget nodded. Uldred transformed himself into his true form…a Pride Demon. He greatly resembled an ogre. Bridget fought along with her companions, but constantly looked around in case Uldred began to turn one of the mages. One began to glow and she ran to her quickly and used the Litany. Uldred attempted many times to turn an old, bearded man who Bridget guessed was the First Enchanter himself. She rushed to his aid several times during the battle. Finally, Uldred fell and Alistair finished him off with a powerful blow. Wynne rushed over to the bearded man.

"Irving, are you alright?" she asked as she and Bridget helped him to his feet.

Irving nodded.

"Yes…you found the Litany. Thank the Maker you came to our aid."

Bridget smiled.

"No need to thank me, I was happy to help." She replied.

Irving gave her a small smile in return.

"You are a very kind and generous person, a rare find these days."

Bridget thanked him and said,

"Can you make it downstairs? Greagoir stated he will not believe that the Tower is back to normal unless you say it is true."

Irving nodded.

"Yes, if you will assist me down the stairs…"

Bridget, Irving, and the others climbed down the many stairs of the tower and returned to Greagoir. Greagoir was shocked to see Irving standing before him…but glad that peace had been restored to the Circle none the less. Cullen however thought that all of the mages should be killed but was quickly (and thankfully) shut down by Greagoir the moment his ideas were heard. Irving turned to Bridget and smiled.

"In return for your help the mages will gladly assist you in the Blight. I cannot thank you enough."

Bridget smiled.

"Thank you for your allegiance, Irving…but may I ask something else of you as well?"

Irving chuckled.

"After everything you have done for us the least I can do is return the favor. What is it that you need, Warden?"

Bridget sighed sadly.

"The Arl of Redcliffe's son, Connor…he is possessed by a demon. I was asked to seek the magi's help to bring him back."

Irving nodded.

"I see. I will aid the child at once, I will gather a few mages and meet you in Redcliffe."

Bridget nodded.

"Thank you, Irving."

He smiled.

"Of course."

"Irving?" Wynne asked.

He acknowledged her.

"I would like permission to go with the Warden. She is a formidable woman and I believe I can help her in her cause."

Irving drew his brows together and sighed.

"I can already tell your mind is made up, Wynne. You never really were destined to stay within the Circle."

Bridget smiled and turned to Wynne.

"I'd be honored to have you with us."

Wynne smiled. Irving nodded.

"Well I can't say no then, can I? I wish you luck on your journey then and will see you in Redcliffe."

"Thank you, Irving."

Bridget led the group out of the tower and they traveled back to the docks. Night had fallen to no surprise and Bridget was looking forward to sleeping at the inn again…she secretly hoped that she and Alistair would share a room again, that way they could talk about that kiss…when they reached the docks though…Morrigan looked infuriated and Leliana looked ashamed of something. Bridget barely had time to get off of the ferry before Morrigan went into her rage.

"You will not believe what your little friend here did!"

Leliana bit her lip nervously.

"I did not mean too!" she squeaked.

Morrigan narrowed her eyes and looked over her shoulder at her.

"Quiet or I will turn you into the very thing you wanted so badly!" Morrigan hissed.

Leliana whimpered and didn't say anything. Alistair sighed.

"What happened, exactly?" he asked.

Morrigan turned and looked at Bridget again.

"A nug seller happened to come into the inn with his wares. Leliana here wanted to buy one but realized that she did not have enough coin to purchase the filthy little creature. So what does she do? She tries to _steal_ the nug right there in front of all those witnesses! Needless to say she was caught and the inn owner has thrown us out of the inn and will not let us back in, any of us. He said that he does not serve thieves."

Bridget frowned.

"Goodbye nice comfy bed…nice clean sheets…how you will be missed!" Alistair fake sobbed. Bridget sighed.

"I am so sorry, Bridget. I just really wanted one! I-I do not know what else to say except that I am truly sorry that I had us kicked out."

Morrigan glared at her and did not stop her staring. Bridget shook her head, extremely irritated with Leliana…but she didn't want that to show.

"Let's just move on. We'll travel a bit and we'll set up camp, alright?"

Leliana brightened.

"Thank you for not being angry with me. I see we have a new member, I'm glad I bought that extra tent while I had the chance!"

Morrigan rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I am surrounded by nothing but idiots." She grumbled.

Bridget led the others out of Lake Calenhad and back towards Redcliffe. They would not reach the village that night, as Bridget was too tired to even press on. They found a small clearing and set up camp for the evening. Leliana made beef stew and everyone ate happily. Morrigan and Wynne talked over magic whilst Leliana ate alone…a bit ashamed. Bridget finished her stew and stood. She wanted to go for a walk and was able to sneak away with out the others noticing. Bridget stuck her hands in her pockets as she walked on the small forest path. She had removed her armor and now wore a simple tunic and pants. She came to a small clearing where a tiny river lay. Bridget bent down near the river and washed her face. The cool liquid felt good and relaxed her a bit. Bridget wiped her arm against her forehead and stared up into the sky. The stars twinkled like diamonds and Bridget thought back to what Fergus used to say about the stars winking at those who gazed up at them. Bridget lay back against the ground and smiled as she remembered some of her misadventures with Fergus.

"Mind if I join you?"

Bridget turned her head to see Alistair walking towards her. He too had removed his bulky armor and wore a simple shirt with brown breeches. Bridget shook her head and Alistair walked over and sat down next to her. They were quiet for a while before Bridget could no longer stand the silence and broke it.

"When I was younger…I used to sneak up to the roof of my castle and look at the stars. I always felt that they watched over me, guarded me against the dark and bad things in the world."

Alistair looked at her. A small, yet sad smile spread across her face as she said,

"Fergus used to tell me if I didn't have anything else…I would have the stars…and they would guide me to my safety."

Alistair smiled.

"Were you close with him?" he asked softly.

Bridget turned her head and looked at him she chuckled softly.

"Yes, though we had our moments where we got on each others nerves. I would always tease him about Oriana when he was older, and he was scared to death that mother would find out about there…late night escapades if you will. Sadly for Fergus, mother already knew without me having to tell her. She just played the fool and pretended to be none the wiser for Fergus's sake, and to spare him from the embarrassment I suppose."

Alistair laughed, as did Bridget. Silence consumed them again for a while before Alistair decided to break it.

"I'm glad that the mages will help Connor. It will mean everything to Arl Eamon when he wakes up and sees that his family is alright."

Bridget nodded.

"Me too…I am glad that they were able to help. If they weren't…I wouldn't have stopped until I found a way that could spare both Connor and Isolde."

Alistair smiled at her.

"I know…that's just who you are."

Bridget nodded and turned her head back to look at the stars again. Alistair bit his lip nervously as he reached into his pack that was beside him. He removed a beautiful rose, one that he had picked some time ago and looked over at Bridget. He quickly placed it on her stomach. Bridget looked down and furrowed her brow. She sat up and took the rose in her hand to examine it.

"Do you know what that is?" Alistair asked in a cracked voice.

Bridget looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a trick question?"

Alistair chuckled.

"Why yes it is haha. I picked it when we were in Lothering. I remember thinking that there was this beautiful rose against all the darkness surrounding it…and I knew that when the Darkspawn came…their taint would just destroy it."

Bridget nodded.

"That's true…"

Alistair blushed and broke their eye contact.

"I um…I was hoping to give it to you, actually. I just wanted to tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are amidst all this…darkness."

Bridget smiled.

"Thank you, Alistair…it's lovely."

Alistair smiled.

"I just thought…here I am doing all this complaining and you haven't really been having a good time yourself, have you? Oh I don't know…it was probably a really stupid impulse…I dunno…was it the wrong one?"

Bridget shook her head, moved towards him and lightly kissed him on his cheek.

"Not at all. It's nice to know someone appreciates me."

Bridget pulled back and smiled at Alistair's quite visible blush. He cleared his throat nervously and avoided her eyes.

"Right well if you don't mind moving past this awkward phase and getting right to the steamy bits…"

Bridget chuckled.

"Alright then, all your clothes, take them off, now!"

Alistair laughed nervously.

"Haha…bluff! Guess you saw right through me, huh?"

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Why must it be a bluff?"

She grinned at the look of horror across Alistair's face and playfully hit him in the arm.

"You must learn that if you insist on making jokes to get some thrown back at you, Alistair."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Haha…right…"

Bridget giggled.

"You're kind of cute when you're bashful." She stated.

Alistair gave a nervous chuckle and stood.

"Well I guess I'll just go and um…stand in a corner then until the blushing stops."

Bridget grinned and stood as well.

"In all seriousness Alistair, it was a wonderful gesture, thank you."

He smiled warmly at her.

"I'm glad you like it."

Bridget yawned and began walking back towards the camp.

"I guess we should go back before we're missed."

Alistair nodded and walked next to her. Bridget took her walk slow that way she could spend as much time as she possibly could talking to Alistair. They chatted over various things and laughed at each other's jokes. Bridget bid a good night to everyone else and to Alistair upon returning to camp and climbed in her tent. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, thinking of how wonderful it was to have Wynne join their party. Bridget didn't realize that come morning they would gain a new member…a very _interesting_ one at that.


	17. Chapter 16: The Antivan Assassin

Chapter 16

The Antivan Assassin

Bridget woke early the next morning and dressed herself in her armor. She carefully placed the rose Alistair gave her in her pack and climbed out of her tent, yawning. Morrigan too was awake and was eating some bread by the fire. Bridget then remembered the odd book she nicked from Irving's quarters. She sat next to Morrigan and pulled a piece of bread for herself.

"Morrigan?" she asked.

Morrigan looked at her. Bridget could tell she was still angry with Leliana and she had dark circles under her eyes from no sleep the night before. Bridget reached into her pack and pulled out the tattered black book.

"I don't know if this would be of any interest to you but I found it while I was in the Circle Tower." She said as she handed her the book.

Morrigan's eyes widened.

"That is Flemeth's Black Grimoire! I…I didn't even mention it to you and you still retrieved it…you have my thanks!" she exclaimed as she took the book from Bridget's hands.

"What do you hope to find in there?" she asked.

Morrigan looked at her eagerly.

"Flemeth's secrets of course…though I'm sure the best ones will be in her true Grimoire. I will begin studying this at once! May I remain here at the camp to do so whilst you and the others go to the village?"

Bridget nodded.

"Of course, just promise me not to do anything to Leliana since she has decided to stay here as well."

Morrigan sighed and stood.

"I will not promise, but I will try my hardest to contain myself."

With that she walked back off to her tent, her nose buried in the mysterious book. Bridget continued to eat her slice of bread as Alistair emerged from his tent yawning and rubbing the back of his neck. He joined Bridget and ate with her and they chatted over a few things. As soon as Wynne had woken and ate, Bridget stated that they should resume their journey to Redcliffe. They bid farewell to Leliana, Morrigan and Zeus and followed the trail out of the woods. They spoke little as they traversed through the wooded area. Bridget had a bad feeling about the area they were traveling in. Things just seemed a little…too quiet. Out of nowhere a woman ran up to them screaming and crying hysterically.

"Oh thank the Maker! You must help me, my caravan has been run over by bandits!"

She grabbed Bridget's hand and ran forward and led them through the woods to another clearing. Once there, she released Bridget's hand and ran over towards a man who certainly looked like a bandit. Bridget swept her eyes over him. He was an elf with a golden hair color, almost matching Bridget's. His skin looked as if it had been kissed by the sun. Its tan color seemed to reflect the sunlight nicely. His eyes were a piercing brown. He smirked and waved his hand. Bridget heard a snap and looked over her shoulder. She dived out of the way of a tree and drew her blade. The woman that needed aid turned out to be an apostate working for this mysterious elf. Bridget took her on first as Alistair went for some of the archers with Wynne's aid. After the mage was slain, Bridget ducked to avoid a blow from the elf and immediately took him down. Bridget lunged for him and knocked him to the ground. She straddled his waist and held her blade to his throat. To her surprise, the elf burst out laughing.

"I must say…it usually takes a lot more to end up in this predicament then just drawing my blade. I shall keep this in mind."

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"I'm doing the talking here, elf." She spat.

The elf raised his eyebrows and smirked at her seductively.

"I like a woman who is in control."

He dropped his weapons from his hands an rested his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes and said,

"Do with me what you will…I like rope if you have any."

Alistair's jaw dropped. Bridget stared down at the elf like he was mad.

"Who are you and why did you attack us?"

The elf opened up one eye and flashed a brilliant smile.

"It is rather difficult for me to think straight with you straddling my waist."

Bridget narrowed her eyes and slowly removed herself from him, not dropping her sword for an instant. She kicked his blades away from him and stood next to Alistair. The elf slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"My name is Zevran, Zev to my friends. I hail from the beautiful city of Antiva."

Alistair crossed his arms.

"But why did you attack us?" he asked.

Zevran looked at Bridget.

"A Teyrn Loghain hired me to kill you. I am an Antivan Crow…you see."

Bridget crossed her arms as well and asked,

"And just what are they?"

Zevran chuckled.

"We are assassins, very well trained assassins. We always get the job done!"

"Not with this case, apparently." Bridget replied.

Zevran laughed nervously.

"Ah…no not with this case."

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Are you loyal to Loghain?" she asked.

Zevran shook his head.

"No, he was just a client. I am loyal to the Crows…or I should say was…"

"What do you mean?"

Zevran sighed.

"Well since I failed in killing you, the Crows will now wish to kill me. If I flee, they will eventually find me. If you kill me now which I sincerely hope you hear me out before you chose to do so, well I would be dead, and that's not very fun. Care to listen to my proposition?"

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"What could you possibly have to say?" she asked.

Zevran grinned up at her.

"Why not let me accompany you? I am a very skilled fighter, and I am loyal to those I travel with. I can help you kill whoever it is that you are after!" he said joyfully.

Bridget gaped at him.

"You must think I'm royally stupid!" she exclaimed.

Zevran smirked.

"Quite the contrary my dear lady, I think you are royally tough to kill…and utterly gorgeous at that. Not that I am insinuating that you will respond to simple flattery…although I do believe I see a blush stretching across your beautiful face. There are far worse things in life than serving the whims of a deadly sex goddess, such as yourself."

Alistair gaped at him. He turned to Bridget.

"You're not really going to bring him along…are you?"

Bridget cleared her throat. She never thought anyone would think of her as a 'sex goddess' as Zevran had so easily put it and was a little side tracked by his remark. She cleared her throat and looked at Alistair.

"I don't know…he could be useful."

Before Alistair could reply, Zevran interrupted and said,

"Since this is a Blight and you are Grey Wardens I am guessing that you are using the treaties to unite the lands? Well lucky for you, I happen to be part Dalish. Dalish Elves are very proud and do not like trespassers coming to their camp. I can provide assistance in that area…and many _other_ areas that have nothing to do with that."

Alistair sighed.

"Oh I hate to admit this but he's right. Duncan always talked about how prideful the Dalish are…and they really don't care much for humans. Zevran could be a great help with them."

Bridget nodded and looked back at Zevran.

"Very well…you may come with us."

She held out her hand and he took it and stood.

"Then I pledge my loyalty to you, my beautiful Grey Warden."

Alistair narrowed his eyes, which Zevran noticed immediately.

"Oh? Have you claimed this lovely woman for yourself?"

Bridget buried her face in her hands, hiding her blush but also trying not to burst with laughter. Alistair blushed furiously.

"What? N-No, she-she's my friend, that's all!"

Zevran smirked and placed his arm around Bridget.

"So you don't mind if I whisper sweet nothings in her ear from time to time?"

Bridget shrugged Zevran off of her and said,

"Don't push your luck here." Before taking the lead and walking ahead.

Zevran chuckled and patted Alistair on the back.

"I love it when they play hard to get, makes the love making in the end that much sweeter, no?"

"Maker I can't believe you just said that." Alistair said as he followed Bridget.

Zevran laughed.

"I am enjoying my new company already!"

Bridget sighed and continued to lead the group out of the woods. She hoped that she hadn't made a mistake in bringing Zevran along, but found herself laughing at his jokes soon after. Their little party was in need of some comic relief, and Zevran would provide that and so, so much more.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to express Zevran's character to his full potential…but I don't know, do you guys think I did well with keeping him in character? Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 17: Saving Connor

Chapter 17

Saving Connor

With Zevran now in their party, they no longer traveled in silence. He always seemed to have something to say just about everything. Bridget knew when they fought some Darkspawn that her decision to bring him along was the right one. After all, who else in their group would say that they are 'ridiculously awesome' as Zevran had said. Soon enough they had made it back to Redcliffe and hurried to the castle. Bridget sighed in relief as she saw Irving was already present. Isolde looked as if she hadn't slept since they left for the Circle Tower. Bridget ran up to them. Irving sighed in relief.

"I am glad that you are here…I began to fear the worst."

Wynne stepped forward.

"If you have the preparations complete…I will enter the Fade and save the boy."

Irving nodded.

"Very well, Wynne."

Bridget touched Wynne's arm.

"Please be careful." She whispered.

Wynne nodded and walked with Irving off to the side. Bridget watched on as Wynne was lulled into a sleep. She prayed to the Maker that this demon was not like Sloth…though she could not be for certain…

Wynne awoke in the Fade and looked around. All around her were spirits, and they all were of a young boy and older man. Wynne turned her head as she heard a boy call out for his father and made her way to the sound of his voice. She approached the child and knew that the demon was within him. Wynne wasted no time in chatting; she immediately began to attack until the demon disappeared. Wynne jogged over to a Fade Portal and stepped through it, ending up somewhere else with wisps of spirits passing by her. She found the boy again and attacked, keeping in mind that there was a demon within him. Finally she came to her last confrontation with the demon. It was a desire demon…one of the higher ups in the hierarchy. The demon raised her eyebrows at Wynne as she approached her.

"Hmm…why do you bother me? Why help this child when you do not even know him. Why not just leave. I can give you a gift if you do…you are very old indeed…soon to wither away in fact. I can make you young again…how does that sound?"

Wynne shook her head.

"I want nothing you offer demon. This ends here and now…you will torment this child no longer!"

The demon shrieked with anger and lashed out at Wynne, knocking her backwards to the ground. Wynne stood quickly and grimaced. She immediately began to cast spells as fast as she could. Although she was more of a healer…she did have some useful, damaging spells up her sleeve. The battle was a rather fierce one as the demon had a habit of regenerating it's health…but soon enough Wynne had disposed of her and thus released Connor from her control.

Bridget and the others ran over to Wynne and Irving as Wynne stirred from her sleep. She sat up slowly as Isolde handed her a glass of water.

"My boy…is he safe?" she asked, her voice cracking with tears.

Wynne nodded.

"The demon has been vanquished. Your son is safe…"

Isolde covered her mouth to muffle her cry. She bent next to Wynne and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you," she turned and looked at the others. "Thank you all so much!"

Bridget swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

"Mother?"

Isolde turned to see Connor standing by the entrance to another room. She ran towards him and scooped him into her arms.

"Oh Connor! Thank the Maker!"

Irving stood and helped Wynne up.

"Lady Isolde…may I see Arl Eamon…I would like to look at his condition myself." He asked.

Isolde nodded.

"But of course…I will take you to him now."

Bridget and the others followed Isolde, Teagan, and Irving to the Arl's bedroom. Bridget's eyes widened as they entered his room. She had never seen someone look so ill in her entire life…Eamon looked to be at death's door…as if he were hovering over him at that very moment, draining what little life remained from his sickened body.

"We have tried everything…some of your best mages are here, Irving…and he still does not stir."

Bridget walked up to Eamon's bedside to study him more closely. His face had many more lines in it now than it did since she had last seen him. His skin was pale…that of the whitest color you could get and it shined with the sweat of his fever. Isolde sighed.

"The only thing that will save him is the Urn…"

Bridget raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Isolde.

"The Urn? You mean the Urn of Sacred Ashes?"

Isolde nodded.

"Yes...you know of it?"

Bridget nodded and walked towards them.

"Well…I only know that it is a legend…my Nan used to tell me about it."

Isolde shook her head.

"It is not a legend…at least I hope not…" she replied in an anguished whisper.

Alistair looked at Bridget.

"We need Arl Eamon's support…" he whispered.

Bridget nodded.

"I can find this Urn for you." She stated.

Isolde looked at her.

"Really? You can?" she asked.

Bridget nodded. Isolde sighed happily.

"Thank you. You will want to begin in Denerim, seek out Brother Genetivi…he has been doing research on the Urn, he will be able to help!"

"Very well, I will seek him out immediately."

With that, Bridget and the others left the castle. Back at camp that night, she sat near the fire chewing and swallowing with disgust the dried meat that they had. Alistair sat next to her.

"You know, we might run into the elves before we hit Denerim…I believe they are near the Brecilian Forest. Perhaps we should go to them first."

Bridget nodded.

"I was thinking that as well."

Alistair was about to say something else before Zevran sat down in between him and Bridget.

"I must say my beautiful Grey Warden, I am very glad that you decided not to kill me even though I tried to kill you. Perhaps this is fate…a rather tricky hoe she is, no?"

Alistair frowned whereas Bridget burst out laughing. She finished her meal and stood.

"Well, time for a bath and then off to sleep then, we've got a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."

Zevran smirked.

"Would you like someone to accompany you to the river…no doubt you need help washing it…"

Alistair narrowed his eyes at Zevran and looked at Bridget to see that she was blushing.

"Ahem…ah no, Zevran I can manage that for myself."

Zevran smiled.

"Aw the lady blushes at my comment…perhaps I should use this tactic more often…"

Bridget shook her head and walked off towards her tent. She grabbed a blanket and some soap and disappeared in the nearby trees. Zevran turned to Alistair to see him staring after Bridget. A sneaky grin betook his face and he crossed his arms.

"Ah…so you do have feelings for her, don't you."

Alistair blushed and looked at him.

"W-What, no I-I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Zevran 'tsked' softly and shook his head.

"Come now Alistair, there is no reason for you to lie to me, I won't tell."

Alistair looked at the elf and released the breath that he didn't realize he was holding.

"Oh alright, I guess there really is no harm in telling you…"

Zevran turned to him, his attention caught. Alistair sighed.

"I don't know how to explain it…I sort of get this weird feeling when I'm around her…"

Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"Well it is normal to have odd feelings in your lower regions if they have never been used before, especially then."

Alistair rolled his eyes and blushed furiously.

"No not that type of feeling! I mean…it feels like I have a swarm of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. She makes me nervous…and makes me babble more than I usually do."

Zevran contemplated Alistair and said,

"Well have you tried giving her a token of your affection?"

Alistair nodded.

"I gave her a rose but I…I think I may have made a joke out of it."

Zevran frowned.

"There are appropriate times to joke, Alistair…but they should never be when a woman's heart is concerned. Have you tried to kiss her?"

Alistair took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Um…no I…I haven't."

Zevran hit him in the arm.

"Well do it then! Woo her!"

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"Woo?"

Zevran looked at Alistair suspiciously.

"Do you mean to tell me you have never wooed before? You are…woo-less as it were?"

Alistair sighed and stood.

"Ugh this was a bad idea, I don't even know why I'm talking to you about this anyways."

Zevran chuckled.

"Well the answer to that is one: I am the only other male in camp which by the way I don't know how you managed to stay a virgin this long with these three lovely women accompanying you, and two: you wanted advice from someone who is experienced in the wooing arts such as myself." He replied.

Alistair ignored him and stomped off back to his tent. Perhaps what Zevran said was true…maybe he should try to kiss Bridget soon. But what if she didn't like it, what if she just wanted to be friends? Although she _had_ kissed him on the cheek when he gave her the rose...Alistair sighed and sat on a log a few feet away from the others. Soon enough Bridget returned and the others turned in for the night. Alistair was expecting Bridget to as well, so he was a little surprised when she sat down next to him.

"Want some company?" she asked.

Alistair smiled at her.

"Of course." He replied.

They were quiet for a long while. All that could be heard throughout the air were the melodies of the crickets and frogs and the occasional splash of a fish jumping out of the water in the nearby pond. Alistair looked at Bridget and asked,

"So…what do you think of Zevran…really?"

Bridget looked at him and smiled.

"He seems to be a good addition to the party, don't you think?"

Alistair drew his brows together.

"You mean the comments he makes towards you don't bother you?"

Bridget laughed softly.

"Well no, I didn't say that. They make me a little uncomfortable, but I know he's just joking. Trying to cheer us all up a bit I suppose, much like you do with your jokes."

Alistair nodded and turned his head back to look in front of him. Bridget looked at him. Alistair looked very pensive…and had been rather quiet this evening. She gently touched his arm. Alistair looked at her and stared into her eyes. They held a questioning gaze.

"Is there something on your mind, Alistair?"

Alistair blinked. How was it she could read him so well? They barely knew each other…although they had been through quite a bit as of late. Perhaps that was the reason why she gave him that fluttering feeling in his stomach. He sighed deciding he couldn't hold it back any longer.

"I…I was wondering something."

Bridget blinked.

"What is it?" she asked.

Alistair licked his lips and cleared his throat.

"All of this…the constant battles…everyone here…will you miss it when it's all over?"

Bridget raised her eyebrows and looked up at the moon.

"I don't know…I haven't really given it much though since we've only just begun…although it seems like years ago that I was home with my family, as opposed to the month since then…why do you ask?"

Alistair bit his lip and looked at her.

"I…I was just wondering, that's all." He replied in a cracked voice.

Bridget furrowed her brow and looked at him. Alistair froze on the spot…she knew he wasn't telling her everything…he could tell that just by her gaze. They sat, quiet for a moment staring at each other before Bridget said,

"Are you asking me if I will miss _you_ once this is all over, Alistair?"

Alistair smiled nervously and chuckled.

"I um…I suppose you're right, yes."

Bridget smiled at him and placed her hand on top of his. Alistair looked at their hands, and then back at her. Bridget batted her eyelashes up at him. In truth she felt like an utter fool…how this was supposed to get Alistair to like her was beyond her grasp. Though this is how her mother said to get the attention of boys, so she supposed it was worth a go…despite how stupid she felt.

"Have you got something in your eye?" Alistair asked.

Bridget giggled and rolled her eyes.

"No, that was just a stupid trick of my mother's. Apparently it doesn't work."

When Alistair looked confused, Bridget decided to drop the topic and return to his question.

"I…yes I will miss this. I like traveling…I like the fact that I am able to fight and stand my ground, although I hate how I ended up in this situation…but yes I will miss it all…and you, of course."

Alistair gave her a small, nervous smile.

"I…I'll miss you, too. You're a great friend…one of the few I can say I've actually had."

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Just a friend?" she asked softly.

Alistair blushed and cleared his throat.

"This might sound silly to you but…I have come to care for you…a great deal. It might be because we've been through so much together, I don't know."

Bridget smiled. Alistair took that as a notion to continue.

"Perhaps I am fooling myself…am I?"

Bridget shook her head and squeezed his hand.

"I care about you too, Alistair." Bridget replied in a whisper.

Alistair swallowed and smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that…"

His stomach felt as if it were going to explode from all of the nerves bouncing around inside it. Alistair slowly moved forward and kissed Bridget very softly on her lips. The kiss was very fast and chaste and Alistair pulled away before Bridget could really process that he _had_ kissed her. He blushed and whispered,

"That wasn't too soon…was it?"

Bridget frowned.

"Well you pulled away so fast…I will need more testing to be sure." She replied.

Alistair smiled.

"Well…I'll have to see about arranging that then, won't I?"

Bridget laughed softly. Alistair blinked and sighed. What was he doing? He shouldn't be doing this…especially since she didn't know about his birthright…

"You should um…probably get some sleep, I'll handle the watch tonight."

Bridget blinked, a little surprised by his response.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay up with you?" she asked.

Alistair shook his head.

"I'll be fine, goodnight."

Bridget furrowed her brow and stood.

"Goodnight…"

She walked past him and back towards the camp. Alistair buried his face in his hands.

"What am I doing? This is a mistake…" he whispered to himself.

"You cannot help it."

Alistair turned to see Wynne approach him. She sighed and said,

"I would not normally say anything…but I can tell how much you care for her, and how much she cares for you."

Alistair sighed.

"I _do_ care about her…"

Wynne patted him on the shoulder and said,

"If things were different perhaps you could be with her. Duty and honor separates you now…and if you were to enter into a relationship with her those very things may tear it apart. It is best to remain friends with her and nothing more. You do not know what lies along the vast road ahead, after all."

Alistair drew his brows together. He turned his gaze away from her and looked back up in the sky. A shooting star zipped along the black velvet of the night.

"That is my say in the matter at least. Perhaps I should not have said anything. I will leave you now. Until morning, goodnight."

Alistair sighed as she walked away.

"What am I going to do?" he whispered to himself.


	19. Chapter 18: The Dalish Elves

Chapter 18

The Dalish Elves

Bridget slowly opened her eyes and stared at the top of her tent. She sighed and sat up slowly, popping her back as she did so. Oh what she wouldn't give for a nice warm bed and thick blankets. Bridget shuddered at the thought of when they would have to travel through the Frost Back Mountains to get to Orzammar. She ran a brush through her knotted hair, wincing as she pulled through the knots. After pulling her hair back into her usual bun, she threw her leather armor on and climbed out of her tent. No one else was awake except for Zevran who was shining one of his daggers by what remained of the fire. Bridget stared up into the clouds as she stood, sighing unhappily. Those clouds were either full with rain or snow…or a mixture. Bridget walked over to the fire and sat down, pulling out a piece of bread from the food pack as she did so. Zevran smiled up at her as she sat across from him.

"And how are you this fine morning my beautiful temptress?" he asked.

Bridget shrugged.

"Alright I suppose." She replied.

Zevran tipped his head to the side.

"Just alright? Surely I thought your private conversation with Alistair last night would've gotten you in better spirits…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?"

Zevran chuckled.

"No need to be shy my dear…we all have our natural instincts and urges,"

Bridget almost choked on her bread.

"What? You think Alistair and I…no!"

Zevran raised his eyebrows and cast a glance at Alistair's tent. He was about to climb out but Zevran made a notion to his friend to remain still.

"But I-I thought,"

Bridget shook her head.

"No, nothing like that happened, and don't get your hopes up for it _ever_ to happen." She stated in a hurt tone.

Zevran glanced at Alistair and then back to Bridget.

"He didn't even kiss you?"

Bridget's face flushed.

"I don't really think that's any of your concern." She spat.

Zevran nodded.

"Well yes, you are right. I just thought you might want someone to talk to." He said.

Bridget looked up from her lap and sighed.

"Oh alright if you must know yes he did kiss me, but it was barely a minute long and it was a kiss one would give to their grandmother."

Zevran's eyes widened as he turned his head to look at Alistair's that was poking out of his tent.

"I see…"

Bridget sighed and stood.

"I didn't want to push him into anything, and now I've made him uncomfortable…I guess it just shouldn't have happened in the first place."

With that she stormed off back to her tent to begin to pack. Alistair slowly climbed out of his tent only to be rounded on by Zevran.

"I am beginning to think that Morrigan is right, you really are the dumbest one here, aren't you?" he hissed.

Alistair sighed.

"Look, I got nervous okay…"

Zevran shook his head.

"That is no excuse to why you pushed her away so quickly. Oh Alistair…you will never bed her if you keep this streak going on."

Alistair blushed furiously.

"Well what do you suppose I should do?"

Zevran looked up at him.

"Clearly you should take her away from here and kiss her properly! Show her you care for her! Woo her!"

"You two are making quite the fuss."

Alistair and Zevran turned to see Morrigan walking past them. Bridget emerged from her tent again and slung her pack over her shoulder.

"We need to make it to the Dalish today…I fear we are running a bit behind." She said as she took to lead the group.

And so the long (and rather awkward) trek to the Dalish began. Alistair was completely embarrassed when Wynne brought his staring at Bridget's "swaying hips" to everyone's attention…although he thought he saw a faint smile on Bridget's lips as he tried and failed to explain himself. He knew he would have to talk to her…to apologize for brushing her away. Alistair just hoped that she would be able to understand. Of course the party was ambushed before entering the outskirts Brecilian Forest (by giant man eating spiders no less) thus being their first obstacle. Many hours later after killing some more giant spiders and walking through countless number of cobwebs, the group found themselves standing on the outskirts of a Dalish camp. Three elves guarded the entrance to the camp, and did not look pleased to see Bridget and the others.

"We do not host guests, what is your business here, shem?" the female elf said.

Bridget stepped forward.

"I'm a Grey Warden and I need the assistance of your people."

The elf's eyes widened.

"Very well…I will take you to Keeper Zathrian."

Bridget and the others followed the elf into the encampment. All the elves seemed to stop what they were doing to stare at them. Bridget nodded to some and was surprised to see them nod back. Bridget looked around and noted the worried faces on many of the elves. Upon reaching the Keeper, she would come to find out what was causing such worry.

"Keeper Zathrian, I have with me a Grey Warden."

The elf turned. Bridget did not know much about Dalish customs, but she knew enough to know that the Keeper was a very powerful mage and well respected amongst his people. Being polite, she bowed as she stared up at him. Zathrian had intricate tattoos on the sides of his face and piercing green eyes. Eyes that held pain…and the slightest hint of fear. Fear of what, Bridget did not know…not at the moment at least.

"Thank you, Mithra. You may return back to your post."

Mithra bowed.

"_Ma nu'venan,_ Keeper." She replied.

Zathrian turned to Bridget and sighed.

"I suspect that you are here to seek our aide with the Blight?" he asked.

Bridget nodded and handed him the ancient treaty. Zathrian looked at her.

"I am sorry…we cannot uphold what our ancestors promised."

Bridget crossed her arms.

"Let me guess, you've got your own troubles, right?"

Zathrian sighed and led her around a hut. Wooden stretchers were lined everywhere and about a dozen or so elves lay stretched out on them, bleeding and writhing in pain.

"I do not wish for outsiders to see us at our weakest…but this is why we cannot help you."

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"What happened to these elves?"

Zathrian turned to him and stated,

"They were apart of a hunting expedition into the Brecilian Forest. They were attacked by werewolves…and now the curse runs through their veins, enveloping them and turning them into the beasts."

Bridget shook her head.

"Is there no hope for your people?"

Zathrian led them away from the bitten elves and back to his hut.

"The only thing that can save them is if the heart of Witherfang is destroyed. Only then can the curse lift."

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"Witherfang?"

Zathrian nodded.

"Witherfang is the beasts' leader. If he dies, they die and those that have not yet turned will come back to us."

Bridget shook her head.

"Can you not come to an understanding with the wolves?"

Zathrian looked at her as if she were mad.

"Do you think those beasts will listen to reason?" he shouted.

She shrugged.

"They may…you never know. They may be just as tormented by the curse as your people are."

Zathrian scoffed.

"This is why we choose not to associate with you humans, all of you are completely out of a good state of mind!"

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"Look, I will try and help you, but I will not if you go about questioning mine and my friends' sanity."

Zathrian sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"You are right…I am sorry. I should not turn away help when it is offered."

Bridget nodded. Zathrian pointed towards the other end of the camp and said,

"You will want to leave through there but I must warn you…other things lurk in the forest besides the werewolves."

Bridget sighed.

"I expected so. Is there anywhere I may get supplies before I go?"

Zathrian nodded.

"Yes, Varathorn should be able to provide you with some supplies. I thank you, Grey Warden. No human has ever tried to help us before."

With that, Zathrian walked away. Bridget sighed and turned to the others.

"Helping out defenseless again I see…" Morrigan stated.

Alistair shrugged.

"We should know by now before we receive aid in the Blight we must do some difficult task to get it."

Bridget nodded and walked over to where Zathrian had stated they could receive some supplies. Master Varathorn was kind, and also promised to make an interesting weapon for Bridget if she could find some Ironbark in the woods. Bridget agreed to look, but had her doubts about finding any. While purchasing some health poultices, Bridget noticed a blond elf pacing back and forth and running his fingers through his hair. She looked to the others to see that they were busy purchasing their own goods and decided to go and talk to him.

"Hello…is something wrong?" she asked.

The elf jumped at the sound of her voice and cleared his throat.

"Um…you must be the Grey Warden, it is an honor to meet you, I am Cammen."

Bridget smiled.

"A pleasure to meet you, Cammen. You look rather nervous, is there something I can help with?"

Cammen sighed and began to pace again.

"I don't expect you to help or understand my situation…"

Bridget laughed and crossed her arms.

"Try me, you might be surprised."

Cammen sighed and leaned up against a tree, staring out across the camp, a look of longing and love held in his eyes.

"I am but a hunter's apprentice…and not a true hunter. Gheyna, my heart's desire…will not bond with me. I have asked her several times, but she vehemently refuses to bond with an apprentice. I do not know what to do."

"Girl troubles, I take it?"

Bridget turned to see Alistair standing next to her. Cammen sighed and nodded. Bridget turned her attention back to Cammen and said,

"Have you spent any time with her at all?"

He nodded.

"Many nights we have watched the stars together…but still as long as I am a mere apprentice, she refuses."

"This might be a bit blunt of me, but have you bedded her?"

Bridget turned to see Zevran standing next to her. She nudged him in the arm.

"Honestly, Zevran!"

Cammen's face turned a bright pink and he shook his head.

"Of course not! That would be inappropriate before marriage! Are you not Dalish?"

Zevran chuckled.

"Only half I'm afraid. I just do not see how you could not want to be with such a beautiful woman! Let's put it this way, have you at least tried to bed her?"

Bridget rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Don't listen to him, Cammen. Would you like me to talk to Gheyna for you?"

Cammen (who had his face buried in his hands) looked up at her.

"You would do that for me?" he asked.

Bridget nodded.

"Why not?"

Cammen smiled.

"Thank you very much. She is over there, by the fire."

Bridget nodded and turned towards where he pointed. Zevran opted to stay behind with Cammen as Alistair and Bridget walked over to Gheyna.

"You are Gheyna, yes?" Bridget asked.

An elf with fiery red hair and blazing green eyes stood and nodded.

"Yes, I am Gheyna. Can I help you with something?"

Bridget smiled.

"Cammen told me about you."

Gheyna placed her hands on her hips and sighed.

"Look…I don't expect an outsider such as yourself to understand our customs but I simply _cannot_ bond with an apprentice. It looks bad for your family if they are anything less than a hunter, and he's been one for so long…"

Bridget crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Why must everything depend on Cammen? Surely you could help him become a hunter?"

Gheyna's eyes widened.

"You are right! Oh I've been such a fool!"

Bridget and Alistair followed her back to a rather pale looking Cammen.

"Cammen, I have been a fool!"

He raised his eyebrows.

"Gheyna?"

Gheyna smiled.

"I am sure you will become a fine hunter one day and make me and our children proud!"

Cammen's eyes widened.

"Does this mean you accept my proposal?"

Gheyna blushed slightly and nodded her head. She lightly kissed him on his cheek.

"Yes, I accept."

Cammen grinned and turned to Bridget.

"Thank you for helping me! Please take this as a token of my gratitude. It has been in my family for generations. I hope it will be of some use to you!"

With that the happy couple walked off, hand in hand. Alistair smiled.

"What a nice warm fuzzy feeling that brings, helping two young lovers."

Zevran chuckled and patted Alistair on his shoulder.

"And now if you could only help yourself."

Alistair and Bridget both blushed at his comment. An awkward silence followed before Bridget broke it by asking,

"Why was he so pale when we returned?"

Zevran threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh that would be my fault. I was just explaining to him how to go about the "bonding" process."

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"Only you, Zevran. Only you."

Alistair looked at her and then at Zevran. As Bridget turned away, Zevran whispered,

"You need to talk to her about that pathetic excuse for a kiss, and soon. If you make no move Alistair…_I_ will."

Alistair's eyes widened as Zevran merrily pounced off in Bridget's wake. Once all the supplies were bought, Bridget approached the others to see who was willing to go with them into the forest. Wynne stated she needed to rest and wished to remain with the Dalish at the camp. Morrigan was still busy deciphering the Grimoire that Bridget had found and opted to stay behind. Alistair of course decided to go (and to his dislike so did Zevran.) Leliana actually decided to go as well. Once everyone was ready, Bridget took the lead and entered the Brecilian Forest.


	20. Chapter 19: The Brecilian Forest

Chapter 19

The Brecilian Forest

Bridget and the others slowly entered the Brecilian Forest carefully, reminding themselves that it was a werewolf infested woods…but Bridget couldn't help but take in her surroundings. The Forest itself was quite beautiful actually, despite it's foreboding appearance. She liked the way the sunlight seeped in through certain parts of the forest, spilling light on the dark, cool dirt. She also liked the way Alistair's hair seemed to gleam in the sunlight, but shook her head quickly to get back to the task at hand. She didn't need her mind wandering in a place like this…and it was at that moment that a giant bear came out of no where and attacked them. It was an easy kill, but Bridget hated the thought of walking around in the woods covered in blood. Animals could smell that, after all. She immediately regretted not bringing Zeus along. Bridget just assumed having four people in their little party at a time was quite enough to handle though. She glanced over her shoulder to see Alistair quickly advert his eyes from her and stare at something else, accidentally walking into a tree as he did so. Rubbing his forehead he looked at his feet, embarrassed. Perhaps he should've stayed at the camp but, no! Then Zevran would be left alone with Bridget…although Leliana was here too…of course he would've probably wooed her as well. Maker why did he push Bridget away? He felt like an absolute fool! Alistair's wondering thoughts quickly left him as he found himself face first in the dirt. Zevran burst out laughing as Bridget turned and offered him a hand.

"Are you alright, Alistair?" she asked.

He blinked some dirt out of his eyes and took her hand.

"Y-Yes…I guess my mind was elsewhere."

"It often is." He heard Zevran whisper to Leliana who burst into a fit of quiet giggles.

Alistair sighed. He actually wished Morrigan was here. He believed he could tolerate her more than these two at the moment! Upon rounding a corner, a small horde of Darkspawn ran towards them. Bridget quickly took down the Hurlock that tried to stab her and then threw a dagger at a Genlock running towards her. After it hit him between his eyes, Bridget ran over to it and plucked it out, wiping it clean of it's blood. Werewolves were the next opponent, to no surprise. They were rather difficult opponents, as each party member took into consideration that they would have to watch themselves to not get bit. After disposing of the wolves, three more approached them, but stopped in their tracks. Bridget stared up at the beast who appeared to be the leader of this small group. She knew instantly that he was not Witherfang…no that would be far too easy. Bridget swept her eyes over him. His hair was brown and stretched across his body. His teeth were barred and a deep growl released from his throat. He was standing in a threatening stance, yet he made no move to attack. Perhaps she could coerce him into a conversation?

"I see the Dalish have a human doing their dirty work!" he snarled.

Bridget shook her head.

"Please, I wish to sort this out peacefully, if I can. You may call me Bridget."

The wolf stood at his full height and looked down at her.

"I am Swiftrunner." He growled.

Bridget took a deep breath and asked,

"Why have you attacked the Dalish?"

Swiftrunner narrowed his eyes.

"It is they who attacked us. They shall suffer as we suffer!" he shouted, puffing out his chest.

Bridget held up her hands.

"Easy now…care to explain why you hate them so much?"

Swiftrunner threw his hands up in the air.

"I will not speak to you! You should not have involved yourself! Leave now woman or you will regret it later!"

With that he and the other two wolves with him pranced away. Bridget sighed and turned to the others.

"Looks like we have no choice but to fight our way through." She said solemnly.

The others nodded grimly in reply and followed her as she led them across a small bridge. They progressed deeper into the forest before being attacked by three Walking Sylvans.

"You have got to be joking, walking trees?" Bridget shouted as one of the Sylvans shot a root out towards her, wrapping around her ankle and throwing her down.

Alistair had meant to catch her before she fell, but it was Zevran who came to her aid. He expertly cut the root away from her ankle and helped her stand.

"Trees are such tricky bastards, no?" he asked.

Bridget grinned and thanked him. Zevran looked over his shoulder and winked at Alistair, infuriating him even more. Once the Sylvans were taken care of, the group approached another, very old looking tree. His leaves were orange and red, the colors autumn. Now that the other hostile trees had been destroyed, this area was rather peaceful. The tree suddenly sprang to life. His spindly body was made up of bark (obviously) and his wood was quite aged. Bridget gripped her sword…but loosened it soon after. She detected no hostility from this tree, perhaps this one would be different.

"Hmm what manner of beast be thee that comes before the Grand Oak Tree?"

Bridget furrowed her brow. Talking to trees was not one of her pastimes, but she decided to give it a go. After all, if this tree could ask a question, he probably could communicate quite intelligently.

"Can you not see me, I am a human." She replied.

Alistair gaped up at the tree.

"They talk?" he asked in an astonished whisper.

Bridget smiled as she stared up at the Grand Oak.

"Allow me a moment to welcome thee. I am called the Grand Oak, sometimes the Elder Tree."

"It is an honor to meet you, Grand Oak." Bridget replied.

Alistair thought for a split second he saw that tree smile. The Elder Tree continued.

"Unless thou thinkst far too soon, might I ask thee of a boon?"

Bridget blinked.

"Can you explain to me what you are…exactly?"

The Elder Tree nodded.

"I am an elder oak and nothing more, though once I dreamt of a time before, when I roamed the world and howled with pain, not of this world but twixt and twain."

Bridget nodded.

"Perhaps I can help you, with this boon that you mentioned."

The Oak's face lit up.

"I have but one desire, to solve a matter very dire; as I slept one early morn, a thief did come and steal my acorn."

Alistair crossed his arms.

"What's so special about a simple acorn?" he asked.

The Oak looked at him and said,

"All I have is my being, my seed. Without it I am alone indeed. I cannot go and seek it out, yet I am left alone to die without."

Bridget nodded.

"I will find your acorn, Grand Oak Tree."

The Elder bowed in thanks.

"You have my thanks; I shall reward thee if thou reunites me to my seed."

Bridget led the others toward another bridge and entered into another part of the forest. Immediately they were ambushed by werewolves. They killed them instantly and walked along the trail a bit before approaching another. This werewolf did not seem hostile though…she was in pain. It turns out that she was once an elf, her name was Danlya. She pleaded with Bridget to kill her and bring her scarf to her husband. Bridget hated to slay her, since she was hoping to lift the curse…but could sense how much pain she was in. Sadly she ran her blade through her heart, and in Danlya's last breath…was thanked for ending her misery. Bridget and the others continued onward and ended up stumbling on an abandoned campsite. Bridget was grateful for the find, as it was dark now and she didn't think traveling through the forest at night was a sound idea. Suddenly, wind rushed through them and a man appeared before her. Bridget immediately took a step back. The man had a crazed, demented look about him. His grey hair was matted…and there were dry bits of food lingering in his beard. It was difficult to breathe around him, as he smelled absolutely horrible. His tattered clothes had many patches in them. Bridget also noticed the mage staff strapped across his back. Alistair gently touched her shoulder.

"Careful…he's an apostate." He whispered.

The strange man stared at her absently and then blinked and shook his head.

"Oh dear oh dear, not a werewolf nor a spirit. What are the woods coming to?"

Bridget looked to her friends for advice, but they all shrugged. She turned back around and cleared her throat.

"Um…who are you, exactly?"

The old man narrowed his eyes and tipped his head to the side.

"Questions, questions, always questions! They say it was questions that drove me mad…I wonder, will it do the same to you?"

Bridget blinked. The Mad Hermit continued.

"If you ask a question, you get a question, but give an answer and you'll receive the same! Oh how I love to trade!"

Bridget cleared her throat uncomfortably and asked,

"So…you want me to ask a question?"

The Mad Hermit rolled his eyes.

"I think it is your turn to ask, is it not?"

Bridget crossed her arms.

"But I just did,"

"NO THAT IS NOT A QUESTION!" he shouted.

Zevran cackled loudly.

"This is enjoyable to watch!" he exclaimed.

Bridget cleared her throat again and asked,

"You said you like to trade, do you have anything?"

The Hermit complied by saying,

"What do you have? I have a book I finished years ago, an acorn, and a bow."

Bridget raised her eyebrows. He was the thief!

"I have here a book of Elven History…I would like to trade you this for the acorn."

The Hermit raised an eyebrow.

"Elven History you say? Hmm that could be an interesting read, give me that!"

He snatched the book from her hands and tossed the acorn at her. Bridget turned to the others triumphantly.

"Well now, that wasn't so hard." She sighed happily.

Leliana nodded.

"Perhaps we should ask him if we may camp here tonight?"

Alistair shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea…we should make camp yes, but let's get as far away from this guy as possible."

Bridget chuckled.

"I couldn't agree more."

She led them away from the Hermit, eager to get away from the crazed mage as fast as she could. Soon enough, the party came upon a clearing and set up camp. They sat around the fire and ate some dried meet (as all the good stuff remained with Wynne and Morrigan and Zeus) and soon found themselves in a heated battle of cards. Bridget stood after losing for the umpteenth time and stretched.

"I'm going to see if I can find a stream." She announced before grabbing her sword and shield along with her pack and set off into the woods.

Alistair didn't think she should travel alone…but thought it would be rather odd to say he wished to accompany her when she clearly wanted to take a bath. He stood and began to assemble his tent while Leliana and Zevran remained by the fire.

"May I ask you something, Zevran?" Leliana asked.

Zevran flashed a toothy grin her way.

"But of course my beautiful rogue, what do you wish to know?"

Leliana looked at him and asked,

"Why is it you flirt with Bridget…can't you see that it upsets Alistair?"

Zevran chuckled.

"Oh my dear…let me fill you in on a few things…"

And so Zevran explained to her Alistair's horrible mistake by brushing Bridget away after a disappointing kiss.

"You see my dear Leliana, if Alistair believes he has a challenger for Bridget's heart…he will act more quickly in his advances, you see."

Leliana really didn't understand what Zevran meant, but grasped it fully enough. Alistair returned to the fire then as Leliana stood and began to assemble her own tent. Zevran raised an eyebrow and asked,

"Why do you not follow Bridget? Surely it is not safe for her to be venturing out on her own…and I see this as a wonderful time for you to kiss her!"

Alistair sighed and picked up a nearby stick. He drew little things in the dirt and replied,

"Because…I…"

Zevran stood and rolled his eyes.

"Maker's sake must I _demonstrate_ to you what you must do?"

Alistair thought for one mad moment that Zevran intended to kiss _him!_ Zevran strode over to Leliana and tapped her on the shoulder. Leliana turned around to be engulfed in a deep kiss from Zevran. Alistair's jaw dropped. Why was Leliana allowing this? She made no effort to push the elf away! Alistair stood as their kiss was becoming a little _too_ passionate and decided to follow Bridget's footsteps. He spotted her in the distance and hurried towards her, wanting to get as far away from camp as he possibly could. Upon hearing the snapping of a twig, Bridget turned sharply and drew her sword, only to find herself holding it up to Alistair's throat.

"Oh Alistair! I'm so sorry…I thought you were a Darkspawn or a werewolf or whatever else this godforsaken forest has in toll for us!" she exclaimed.

Alistair held up his hands.

"It's quite alright." He said in a cracked voice.

A _very_ awkward silence filled the air. Since Bridget had already come across a stream…there was no reason for Alistair to still be here. He cleared his throat nervously and said,

"Well I had hoped to help you search for a stream but I can see you've found one already. I'll…I'll just be going then."

Bridget chuckled.

"There's no need Alistair, you can join me if you wish."

He froze in his tracks. Had he just heard her correctly. Alistair slowly turned back around to face her. Bridget placed her hands on her hips and threw her head back in laughter.

"I meant for a _swim_ silly! My, my, where did that mind of yours wonder to?"

Alistair frowned. She was spending _way_ too much time with Zevran. This sounded like something he would say. Alistair shook his head.

"Um…that wouldn't really be appropriate…"

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"Oh honestly Alistair, it's just a swim! It's not like I'm suggesting we skinny dip or anything! We'll leave our smalls on, of course!"

Alistair's eyes widened. He had never seen a woman in only her small clothes before…he shook his head again. The temptation was almost unbearable. Perhaps this could be what he needed though. A friendly swim, then he'd apologize and try to kiss her again. He sighed and nodded slowly.

"Well…I guess there wouldn't really be any harm…since we'd still be in our smalls, and it's rather dark out anyways…"

Bridget smiled.

"Good! Come here, I'll help you with your armor."

Alistair walked over to her, his legs nearly buckling beneath him. Bridget removed his breastplate for him, the rest he took care of. He looked away respectfully as she undressed, and made sure she was fully in the water before he came out of the shadows and joined her. Alistair dipped a toe in and jumped back.

"Andraste's flaming sword! This water's freezing!"

Bridget laughed.

"It's not bad once you get used to it, it's very relaxing."

Alistair took her word for it and slowly waded into the water, hitching his breath as he did so. After a while of being in the water, Alistair was grateful that it was cold. He had seen Bridget's chest…everything but her small clothes gone…and that little piece of clothing certainly didn't leave anything to the imagination!

Bridget smiled at Alistair. She was rather surprised that he had taken her offer to join her. Perhaps this was one small step into making him not be quite so nervous around her. She playfully splashed him, laughing as he shuddered and giggled as he splashed her back. Soon they were laughing together, chasing each other in the water and splashing at each other. After deciding that it was rather late (and could find nothing else at the moment to talk about) they exited the stream together. Alistair once again looked away as Bridget dried herself and pulled her tunic and breeches up as he dressed himself. Bridget slung her pack over her shoulder as Alistair tucked his armor under his arm. She walked towards him.

"Ready to head back?"

Alistair reluctantly nodded.

"I suppose so…"

He thought he'd missed his chance to kiss her when Bridget suddenly tripped. Alistair dropped his armor and caught her in his arms. Bridget smiled up at him and burst out laughing.

"Oh my…this is _so_ cliché!" she exclaimed.

Alistair chuckled. Some of her hair had fallen from her bun, and he pushed a lock of her soft hair behind her ear. Alistair let his hand linger on her face as he felt a blush spread across his. He gazed into her eyes and smiled down at her. Tentatively, Alistair moved forward and gently claimed Bridget's lips in a tender kiss. She slightly turned her head to better kiss him back. Their mouths moved over each other's slowly…each of them were savoring the taste of each other…and of the moment in general. Bridget slowly wrapped one arm around his neck, the other she rested around his waist as she pushed herself closer into his chest. Alistair pushed his hand away from her face and rested it on the crook of her neck. His other hand seemed to have found itself at the small of her back. After a minute or so more they broke apart. Bridget smiled.

"_That_ should've been our first kiss." She whispered.

Alistair nodded.

"Want to just forget that the other never happened?" he asked with a smile.

Bridget surprised him by shaking her head.

"Of course not, Alistair. A kiss is a kiss. This kiss shows me that you're a bit bolder now…"

He quirked a brow.

"I'm sure I will find myself being _bolder_ later on…" he joked in a husky whisper.

Bridget grinned. They walked back to their camp site hand in hand. Their hands only broke apart when they went to their separate tents. Alistair climbed into his tent and closed his eyes, quite pleased with himself and his newfound boldness. Just as Alistair felt himself drifting off into the beginning stages of sleep, he heard a soft giggle and complacent moan. One eye flew open. What exactly happened between Leliana and Zevran after he left…and was it still continuing now…? Another giggle and Alistair felt his face turn as red as a beet. It appeared that Zevran was indeed well rounded in the "wooing arts" after all.

A/N: And so the spark of romance is finally lit between Alistair and Bridget! I hope you all liked this chapter. I apologize for the in-game conversation between Bridget and the Oak/Hermit. I couldn't think of any type of witty dialogue though…as the dialogue in the game was great as it was. Please forgive me for that! Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	21. Chapter 20: Returning the Acorn

Chapter 20

Returning the Acorn

Bridget tossed and turned in her sleep. Her dreams were once again plagued by images of Howe murdering her family. She saw Oriana fall after fighting with one man, trying to save Orhen. Her young nephew didn't stand a chance after his mother…and was slain on the spot, in front of the fireplace where he loved to sit and pet Zeus. She then witnessed Howe barge into the larder where her parents were. He taunted and taunted them, then kicked her father hard in his chest after prying her mother off of him. He did so many unspeakable things to the both of them…

"Bridget, Bridget wake up!"

Bridget's eyes flew open to see Alistair hovering over her. She took deep breaths to try and coax her racing heart back to its normal beats. Bridget sat up slowly and looked at Alistair. He looked worried.

"I heard you all the way from my tent…you were shouting…"

He moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her. Bridget rested her head beneath his chin. Alistair slowly stroked her long hair, rocking her back and forth slightly as she cried into his chest. Bridget held onto Alistair as tightly as she could. She was so grateful that she had him to comfort her. After Bridget calmed down a bit, she pulled back slightly to stare into his face. Alistair gave her a small, sad smile as he lifted a hand to her face. He wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. Bridget sighed as she stared into his honey colored eyes. Needless to say she was falling for her fellow Warden. Alistair gently pressed his lips to Bridget's. He noticed a faint blush spread across her cheeks…he must've caught her by surprise, he assumed. Bridget kissed him back, dipping her head to the side. After a few moments, the kiss broke. Bridget smiled at Alistair and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Alistair…" she whispered.

He hugged her back.

"Was it Howe again?" he asked softly.

Bridget nodded.

"Yes…"

Alistair pulled away from her and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"We'll find him, Bridget. We'll find him." he stated.

Bridget smiled and nodded. She moved forward and climbed out of her tent. Alistair sighed. He _needed_ to tell her about his birthright, and soon…he was falling for Bridget, and it was wrong of him to keep his parentage from her. Alistair followed her out of her tent to find Leliana and Zevran eating breakfast. Zevran raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms.

"Aha I see someone got more than just a kiss last night, no?"

Bridget nearly choked on her apple that she was eating. Alistair's face turned a deep shade of red.

"W-What? No! I was comforting her, she was having a nightmare!" he exclaimed.

Zevran chuckled.

"Do you really expect me to believe _that_?"

Alistair crossed his arms.

"What about you and Leliana? I heard the both of you last night!" he exclaimed.

Zevran grinned.

"I was just giving my lovely Leliana a massage, nothing more…" he stated.

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"And you expect _me_ to believe _that_?"

Bridget stood and cleared her throat.

"Okay let's just get going, shall we?"

Leliana stood quickly.

"I agree, let's go now." She said uncomfortably.

The party packed up camp and pressed forward, taking another route back to the Grand Oak as to avoid the Hermit. They were ambushed before they got there, of course by some more Sylvans before they got there, of course. It seemed that the werewolves regrouped over the night, as Bridget counted at least five bodies after they had killed them.

"What do you think that is over there?" Alistair asked.

Bridget turned to the direction he was nodding and raised an eyebrow. There was a strange mist…or perhaps it was a fog blocking the rest of the forest path. Bridget regretted not bringing either Morrigan or Wynne. If she had, one of them would've been able to tell her what this mysterious fog was.

"Let's not walk through it…who knows it might send us back to the beginning of the forest." She stated.

Alistair nodded.

"Good point. Besides, the Oak said he would give you something in return for finding the acorn, maybe he'll give us a way to get past the fog."

Bridget nodded and they continued to backtrack towards the Grand Oak. Thankfully they didn't run into anymore enemies along the way. The Grand Oak sprang to life as Bridget and the others approached him. He looked solemn and sad.

"My acorn is still gone…so I pray to thee, has thou any news for me?"

Bridget grinned as she placed the acorn in the Oak's nimbly, twisted hand. His face lit up with happiness.

"Oh my joy soars to new heights indeed! I am reunited with my seed!"

Bridget chuckled.

"It was no trouble, Grand Oak." She replied.

The Oak smiled.

"As I promised, here it be. I hope it's magic will aid thee."

Bridget gently took the piece of wood that the Grand Oak handed her and watched as he took a step back and rooted himself to the ground again. Bridget ran her fingers over the bark of the wood and noticed that when turned to the light, it shimmered slightly.

"He gave us some firewood?" Alistair asked.

Bridget turned to him and chuckled.

"No, this is a piece of bark from the Oak himself. I'm sure this will get us past that fog!"

Bridget's prediction was dead on. Upon approaching the mysterious mist, she held the bark in front of her, and the fog disappeared. Bridget saw Swiftrunner standing in the distance and approached him with caution. He growled at her.

"You did not heed our warning!" he snapped.

Bridget sighed.

"Please, I really do not want to fight you,"

"The time for words has long since passed!"

Bridget barely had her shield in front of her when he attacked. Luckily she was able to block his blow, only stumbling backwards just a bit. She narrowed her eyes and charged forward, bashing Swiftrunner in the chest with her shield, then turned and cut him with her blade. Bridget didn't even notice the white wolf until it jumped from the cliff and knocked her backwards, clean off her feet. Luckily Alistair caught Bridget before she completely fell to the ground. Swiftrunner growled.

"Retreat!"

The others watched as Swiftrunner and his lackeys ran after the white wolf. Alistair helped Bridget stand, and she brushed some of the dirt off of the front of her leather armor. She turned and looked up at the large columns.

"The werewolves are staying in an abandoned elven temple?" Alistair asked.

Leliana nodded.

"It would appear so…"

Bridget took a deep breath. What remained of the exquisite, stone columns was breathtaking. She led the party forward, gently running her hand over the stone as she walked by. Bridget thought briefly back to when she was in the Spirit form in the Fade, remembering the soft whispers as she passed through the stone to reach the demons. She led them forward only to find another group of werewolves. These did not attack, but fled before them, shouting that there was an intruder. Bridget sighed and withdrew her blade, looking at the others.

"Let's head in. We've got a heart to find."

They entered the ancient ruins…unaware of the drastic change of events that would soon follow.

A/N: I apologize for the short chapter…the next one will be longer!. Now I must return to my fort to write the next (Much longer) chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated; I would love to know what you guys think of the story so far!


	22. Chapter 21: Skeletons, Spiders, Spirits

Chapter 21

Skeletons, Spiders, and Spirits Oh My!

Bridget stepped forward and descended the steps into the ancient temple. She gripped her blade tightly and blew a few strands of her hair that had fallen from her bun out of her eyes. Upon reaching the end of the stairs, two werewolves blind-sided them out of nowhere. Fortunately, they were easy kills, though fear rushed through Bridget as one of the wolves nearly took a chuck out of Zevran's shoulder. She shook her head.

"We need to keep our guard up. They're angry." She stated.

Alistair sighed.

"And they were so polite before…"

Bridget quickly looked around and scanned the area. There was a passage to the west side, but there was a large and intricate door to the north. She knew not to get her hopes up, but approached the large door anyway and tried to open it.

"Of course it would be blocked." She said under her breath after failing to open the door.

Leliana and Zevran both tried to pick it, but to no avail. Bridget turned to the others.

"Guess we'll be taking the long way, then." She announced.

Bridget led the others through the westward passage and were immediately ambushed by giant spiders. Bridget shuddered as she killed a poisonous one and watched in disgust as the deadly liquid dripped from it's fangs.

"I really hate these things!" Alistair shouted as he killed a particularly hairy spider with giant pinchers. Zevran and Bridget rushed to Leliana's aid as the spider she was facing overpowered her and knocked her to the cold stone floor. Luckily she was not bitten. They pressed forward with great difficulty. Alistair kept walking into giant cobwebs, some skeletal remains had come to life and tried to kill them all, and Bridget accidentally set off a trap before either Zevran or Leliana could stop her. All in a days work for our group! As they continued to descend the staircases, an ominous growl echoed throughout the tombs. Bridget swallowed and looked at the others.

"I don't like the sound of that." Alistair stated.

Bridget turned back around.

"Neither do I."

Leliana bit her lip.

"I-It's not possible for a…a dragon to be down here amidst all this rubble…is it?"

The party carefully walked on, and entered a room filled with corpses that surrounded a mosaic etched into the stone. Leliana and Zevran disabled some traps that they saw…but as the party crossed the center of the room, a large dragon swooped down upon them and breathed fire throughout the air. Bridget and the others ran for cover as the fire spread across the room. The dragon roared fiercely, causing the others to cover their ears to keep their eardrums in tact. The dragon's tail swooshed about and knocked over a stone column sending large chunks of rock in every direction. Bridget looked to the others and nodded before charging out of her hiding place and rushing towards the dragon. This was the first dragon she had ever seen, apart from her nightmares about the Arch Demon. Thankfully this dragon was nowhere near the size of the Arch Demon…but it was still a dragon no less. After much slashing, shield-bashing, and cutting, the dragon finally fell at their feet. Bridget leaned up against a nearby pillar to catch her breath.

"Damn…"

Zevran chuckled.

"You could say that again, my friend."

Alistair took a deep breath.

"The worst part is…that dragon wasn't even fully grown…"

After a few more minutes of regrouping (and looting the dragon's hoard) Bridget and the others walked down another flight of stairs, into the lower levels of the ruins.

Upon reaching the lower level, a spirit of an elven boy stood ahead of them, wandering around aimlessly, shouting in his ancient tongue. As Bridget stepped forward, the spirit ran away and in his place skeletons rose from the ground and began to attack. Fortunately they were easy kills and the party walked away without a scratch. The party continued forward, but was forced to stop as the rest of the passage was blocked due to a collapse of pillars. They had to detour through an eastward passage. They entered a large room with another mosaic etched into the floor. The elvish spirit stood in it's center, looking around. Bridget slowly approached him. He whimpered and cried,

"_Mamae? Mamae na mara san…"_

Bridget looked towards the others for guidance. Leliana slowly stepped forward.

"Can we help you spirit?" she asked softly.

The spirit did not hear her, Bridget guessed as he screamed,

_"Mamae! Mamae! Mamae!"_ before disappearing into thin air.

Countless number of skeletons rose from the ground and immediately began attacking Bridget and the others. The party took quick care of the skeletons and pressed onward. Bridget wasn't sure exactly how she was going to get the heart. Witherfang would obviously put up a great fight…she was beginning to feel fatigued from all of the fighting they were doing. They turned and began walking southward as they reached the end of the corridor. Bridget shook her head as they came to another horde of skeletons. After killing them, she turned to the others and said,

"These things are getting predictable. It seems like they're around every corner!"

At long last the party finally came to another door. Bridget pushed it open slightly and scanned what she could see of the rooms. Leliana looked over her shoulder and said,

"There's a lot of pressure plate traps…and I'm sure more skeletons as well. If you and the boys can manage the fighting, I'll do my best to disable the traps."

Bridget nodded and walked forward. All the skulls in the room turned to her attention and those with blades began to attack. Leliana set to work disabling the trap nearest her as Zevran and Alistair ran in after Bridget, taking on as many skeletons as they could handle. Bridget winced as an arrow hit her in her arm. Thankfully her armor blocked the brunt of the attack, but she did feel its tip lightly graze her skin. Soon enough, Leliana had disabled all of the traps and all of the skeletons had been defeated. Bridget led them through a door towards the west and continued through the ruins. After more skeletons, stairs, and spiders, the party entered a room with a large sculpture standing in the middle. Bridget looked at it, curiosity growing. It looked like a planet with a moon orbiting around it. She didn't have much time to study it though as an Arcane Horror emerged in the corner and began shooting her and everyone else with bolts of electricity. Bridget charged for him, but he disappeared before returning in another corner where Alistair swung his sword, but missed as the Horror disappeared again before reappearing once more in another corner of the large room. Several skeletons came to the Horror's aid. He continued to shoot electricity at them before Bridget was able to sneak towards him and knock him backwards with her shield. Once the Horror was down, Bridget gave him no chance to get back up and killed him while the others handled the skeletons. Finally the room was cleared and the passage leading to the werewolves' lair was open.

Bridget cautiously led her friends through the entrance. A rather ominous door stood before them. Bridget had a pretty good feeling what was behind it. She turned to her companions and said,

"The wolves are probably furious…but we must've cut down through a lot of their numbers. Let's be cautious…"

The others nodded and held onto their weapons. Bridget pushed the door open and immediately a swarm of werewolves ran towards them. A new breed they had not encountered before now attempted to overpower Bridget and the others. They were _very_ difficult to kill. Bridget yelped as she stepped into a trap. The teeth from the trap graze her skin, and she was quite sure they probably broke through. After freeing herself from the trap, Bridget hurried as fast as she could to Alistair's aid as a wolf attempted to bite him. She quickly threw a dagger and hit the beast in between his eyes. Bridget retrieved her dagger.

"Thanks for that." Alistair said with a smile.

Bridget smiled at him, but winced slightly. Alistair noticed her leg and asked,

"Are you alright?"

Bridget nodded.

"We need to move on, we can't afford to waste anymore time. I'll be fine, just a scratch."

They descended more steps and came to an abrupt halt when three more werewolves stood before them. Bridget recognized him as the one from before who fled when they first entered the ruins.

"My Lady wishes to speak with you, human. She fears that you do not know the whole truth, as I'm sure the knife-eared bastard left out quite an important point. Are you willing to parley with my Lady?"

Bridget thought for a moment and nodded.

"I wish to avoid a confrontation, if I can. I will gladly speak with your Lady." She stated.

The Gatekeeper looked down his nose at her.

"Very well…mind you keep your word, human, lest your corpse join the others in the ruins above."

He turned and led them down more steps into the wolves' den. Upon entering, all the werewolves growled and sneered at Bridget, some of them snapping their jaws at her. The Gatekeeper stopped and stood next to Swiftrunner. The wolves began clawing at the air and growling maliciously. Bridget swallowed.

"That's a lot of werewolves…and they all look _really_ mad…" she said softly, fear quite present in her voice.

Alistair gently took her hand in his from behind her.

"It's alright, I'm sure the Lady will tell them to calm down so that we may speak with her." He whispered.

His confidence in the situation eased Bridget's nerves a little, but not much. Swiftrunner roared but stopped suddenly. Bridget watched as a beautiful spirit appeared from behind him, gently running her branch like fingers through his hair and easing him. The spirit had ravenous black hair and deep, black eyes…yet they held impeccable amounts of kindness and understanding, wisdom as well. The soft blue hue of her skin reminded Bridget of the sky. Her legs had branches running up them and entwining themselves around her flesh. Swiftrunner slowly knelt on his knees, as did the other wolves around them.

"Shh, Swiftrunner…" she whispered in her cool, melodic voice.

The spirit set her gaze on Bridget and said,

"Greetings. I am the Lady of the Forest, I welcome you here."

Bridget respectfully bowed to her and replied,

"Thank you. I wish to avoid more unnecessary deaths. I am glad we have a chance to talk things through."

The Lady nodded.

"As am I,"

"Do not listen to her! She will betray you, my Lady! We must kill her, now!"

The Lady turned to Swiftrunner.

"Hush Swiftrunner, our guest just said herself that she wishes to avoid more unnecessary deaths, and I fully agree with her. We do not need more of our brethren to die today."

Swiftrunner looked as if he wished to say something else, but instead he took a step back and replied,

"Of course, milady."

The Lady turned back to Bridget.

"I apologize on his behalf. He struggles with his nature."

Bridget nodded.

"I believe everyone does, Lady." She replied.

She nodded and folded her hands in front of her.

"That is very true, indeed. Few, however, could claim the same as these poor creatures…that their very nature is a curse upon them." She stated coolly.

Bridget furrowed her brow, so the Lady continued.

"I am sure you have many questions. Let me start first by saying Zathrian did not tell you everything."

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so? What has he not told me?" she asked slowly.

The Lady sighed and shook her head before looking back at Bridget.

"I am quite certain that Zathrian failed to mention that the curse these poor creatures suffer the curse his very _own_ clan suffers…originated from him. It was he who created this curse and he alone."

Bridget's eyes widened. The Lady continued.

"It was many, many centuries ago…back when the Dalish first arrived to this land. A tribe of humans lived nearby this forest…and they sought to drive the Dalish out. Back in this time Zathrian was a young man and had both a son and daughter. Whilst out hunting one day…the human tribe captured them both…"

Before Bridget could say anything, Swiftrunner sighed.

"The humans…they…tortured the boy and thus killed him. They went on to rape the girl and then left her for dead. The Dalish found her…but soon after she realized that she was with child…and killed herself in shame."

Bridget swallowed and asked,

"So that is when Zathrian placed the curse on them?"

Swiftrunner turned and said,

"He came here and summoned a terrible, powerful spirit and bound that spirit to a great wolf. Thus Witherfang came to be. Witherfang then hunted the humans of the tribe, killing many. Others though were cursed by his blood and became twisted, savage creatures."

The Lady nodded.

"Just as twisted and savage as Witherfang himself is. They were driven into the forest and after the human tribe finally fled, their cursed brethren remained as pitiful and mindless animals."

Swiftrunner turned to her and knelt by her side.

"Until we found you, my Lady. You gave us the peace we sought."

The Lady looked at Bridget.

"I soothed Swiftrunner's bestial instincts and showed him the beauty in the forest. His humanity emerged and he began to bring others to me."

Bridget furrowed her brow once more.

"But why ambush the Dalish? Did you want revenge?"

The nodded slightly and replied,

"Only in part. Our greatest wish is to end this curse. The crimes that befell Zathrian's family were grave indeed but occurred many centuries ago. Those that were responsible are now long since dead. Word was sent many times to Zathrian, whenever the landships past by us…but we have been ignored, time and time again. We will _no longer_ be denied."

Swiftrunner nodded.

"We spread the curse to his people so that he would have no choice but to end it in order to save his clan. That is why we ambushed them."

"Please, you must go to him, bring him here. Once he hears these creatures plight…surely then he will end this madness."

Bridget thought for a long moment. After a while she nodded and said,

"Very well, I will bring him here, Lady."

She nodded and said,

"Keep this in mind: Tell him I will ensure Witherfang is never found if he refuses."

Bridget nodded.

"I have unbarred the door so that you may return to the surface the quickest way possible. Please return with Zathrian as quickly as you can."

Bridget nodded and led the others out of the chamber. Once out of earshot of the wolves, Alistair asked,

"Do you really think he's going to come here?"

Bridget shook her head and sighed.

"It's going to take a lot of convincing…but I see no other way for this to end."

Alistair nodded and followed her up the stone steps, back to the surface where Zathrian himself stood waiting for them.


	23. Chapter 22: Ending the Curse

Chapter 22

Ending the Curse

Bridget furrowed her brow as she saw Zathrian bent down to the ground and examining a stone. What was he doing here…and why? Though it wasn't like she was about to complain or anything. At least this would save her a trip trekking all the way back through the forest to the camp to find him. Bridget approached him cautiously. He smiled as she neared and said,

"Ah there you are."

Bridget crossed her arms.

"And what brings you all the way out here, Zathrian?" she asked coolly.

Zathrian stood and stated,

"You cleared the forest and it is safe for the time being, so I followed after you."

Bridget narrowed her eyes as he continued.

"I followed you because there was no telling what would happen once you arrived here." He said innocently.

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Interesting, but we must speak, now."

Zathrian brushed her off and turned his back to her.

"There will be plenty of time for that much later, during the celebration for finding the heart. You did acquire it…didn't you?"

"I say we stab him in the back right now, he dies the curse dies, right?" Zevran whispered.

Bridget shook her head and replied,

"No, Zathrian. I did not."

Zathrian turned back around to her and narrowed his eyes.

"You didn't? Why are you leaving the ruins then?"

Bridget looked at him. She was going to be straight forward with this conversation, not wanting to keep the werewolves waiting for long.

"The Lady of the Forest wishes to speak to you…she has asked me that I escort you to her."

Zathrian snorted.

"So she has a name for herself now, hmm? Might I ask what she wants of me?"

Bridget sighed, starting to lose her patience, but kept her temper intact. No reason to go and make anybody mad for no reason, after all.

"She states that she will not summon Witherfang unless you break the curse, Zathrian."

He scoffed and began to pace back and forth.

"You do realize that she _is _Witherfang…don't you? They are one and the same."

Bridget nodded slowly.

"Yes, I suspected as much."

Zathrian continued.

"It is she who I summoned long ago and bound to the wolf. Her very nature is of the forest itself, as you saw. She is both beautiful, yet terrible, serene and savage. She is like a coin with one side being the good in nature, the opposite being the bad. The curse came from her first. The afflicted became savage beasts, but human as well."

"Zathrian…the werewolves have regained their minds."

He snorted and quipped,

"I find that _very_ difficult to believe. They attacked my clan, they remain as savage as they have always been. They all deserve to be killed, not defended!"

Bridget opened her mouth to reply, but Zathrian continued by saying,

"I will accompany you back into the ruin. Once there I will force the Lady into Witherfang's form and you may then slay the beast and retrieve the heart."

Bridget shook her head.

"I _assure_ you Zathrian; the werewolves _have_ regained their minds!"

"No! All they want is revenge, they must be killed!"

Bridget gaped at him.

"Do you still have so much hatred after all this time?"

Zathrian narrowed his eyes and flared his nostrils.

"You were not there, human. You did not see the mangled corpse of my son…my daughter, bleeding out from her heart where a knife from her own hand had pierced her. Do not speak to me of hatred! You are not Dalish! How can you expect me to let their crimes go unanswered?"

Bridget sighed.

"You can at least meet with them, that is what I suggest."

Zathrian crossed his arms.

"And what if they attack instead of speak? Will you defend me?"

"I really do not think it will come to that, Zathrian." Bridget replied.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I fail to see where this will get us but very well…I will speak to the spirit."

Bridget sighed in relief and turned back around. She led Zathrian and the others back into the ruin and towards the wolves' den. Upon entering, all the werewolves growled at Zathrian maliciously. Bridget could see the hatred in all of their eyes and prayed to the Maker that things could be sorted out peacefully…though she knew with her luck that this conversation would probably lead to a battle. They stopped once they stood in front of the Lady. Zathrian sneered.

"And so here you are, Spirit." He spat.

Swiftrunner moved so fast, Bridget didn't even have time to blink. He stood in front of Zathrian and growled down at him.

"You will address my Lady by her proper name!" he snarled.

Zathrian raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at Bridget.

"Regained their minds…?" he asked curtly.

Bridget narrowed her eyes as he turned back around and addressed the Lady.

"So…I see you have taken a name and given names to your little pets…how lovely. And they all follow you?"

The Lady shook her head.

"It was these creatures who gave me my name, Zathrian and the names they bear are their own. They choose to follow me because I help them find peace and solace and who they truly are."

Zathrian scoffed.

"Bah! Who they are now does not change who their ancestors were! These beasts will always be savage animals and untamable monsters!"

Swiftrunner growled.

"He will not help us, Lady. He does not wish to talk!"

Zathrian raised an eyebrow.

"On the contrary I am here to talk, beast…though I see it as a futile effort. We all know where this will lead…after all it is in our nature to protect ourselves."

The Lady stepped up to him.

"But it does not have to be that way, Zathrian. Surely there is room for compassion in your heart. Your retribution is spent."

Zathrian shook his head.

"My retribution is eternal, as is my pain though I suspect you will not understand that. This is justice, nothing more."

The Lady walked back to stand next to Swiftrunner and contemplated Zathrian. She was cunning and said,

"Are you quite certain your pain is the only reason behind keeping this curse? Have you told the mortal exactly how it came to be?"

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"Zathrian told me that the summoned you and bound you to a wolf. Is that not what happened?"

The Lady nodded.

"That is true…but such powerful magic could not be accomplished without some of Zathrian's own blood."

"Blood Magic." Alistair whispered.

The Lady continued.

"Your people believe that you have found a way to be immortal, as your ancestors once were. But this is not true. So long as the curse exist…so do you."

Zathrian's eyes widened.

"N-No! That is not how it is!"

Bridget heard is voice falter and crack. And so Zathrian was caught in another lie.

"How far are you willing to go for your revenge, Zathrian?" she asked.

Zathrian swallowed and said,

"I did this for my people and my family, I would do anything for them!"

The Lady looked at Bridget and stated,

"The curse will not end with Zathrian's death alone. I believe his death plays a part in it…and that his life relies on it's existence."

Swiftrunner growled.

"So we kill him!"

Zathrian scoffed.

"You may speak, but you are beasts still! Only I know how the ritual ends, and I will never do it!"

"Then we must kill them all!" Swiftrunner snarled, earning growls of agreement.

Zathrian turned to Bridget and stated,

"You see, they turn on you as quickly! Either do what you came here to do, or get out of my way."

Bridget shook her head and withdrew her sword.

"I am _not_ helping you, Zathrian."

Alistair nodded as he too withdrew his weapon.

"We're standing for what's right." He stated.

Zathrian walked away.

"Fine! You will die with these savage beasts!"

The Lady transformed into Witherfang as Zathrian brought the trees in the area to life. Bridget dodged a ice spell he sent towards her and began attacking one of the trees. Once given the opportunity, she looked over her surroundings. Many of the werewolves had become paralyzed, for some reason. Zathrian had also summoned a few Shades. Bridget killed the tree and ran towards Leliana to help her with the Shade she was facing. At least Bridget and the others had the upper hand here. They had already defeated Uldred…so Zathrian couldn't be more terrible than him. And he wasn't, really. To be fair, Zathrian was a very powerful mage, and he actually knocked Zevran out cold. After finally ridding the room of all of the Shades and Sylvans, Bridget wasted no time. She charged at him and hit him with her shield as hard as she could. Alistair was beside her, slashing away with his sword. Soon, with the aid of Witherfang and Swiftrunner, Zathrian could no longer keep his magic alive. He had sustained far too many injuries. He dropped to his hands and knees.

"N-No more, spirit…I…I cannot defeat you."

Swiftrunner grinned maliciously.

"Finish it! Kill him now!"

"No! There must be some other way!" Leliana shouted.

As Swiftrunner was about to charge, the Lady placed her arm out in front of him to hold him back.

"No Swiftrunner, we do not kill him. We must find mercy in our hearts…if we cannot, how may we expect to find any in his?"

Zathrian shook his head as he slowly stood.

"I am too old to know mercy. All I see are the faces of my children…I…I cannot,"

Bridget sighed as she looked at him.

"Hasn't this gone on long enough, Zathrian?"

He was silent for a moment as he stared at the floor. Soon after, he nodded and said,

"Perhaps I have…lived too long. This hatred in me…it has consumed my soul and branded me forever…but what of you, spirit? You are bound to the curse just as I…do you not fear your end?"

The Lady looked at him.

"You are my maker, Zathrian. You gave to me consciousness so that I could experience all the joys of life…and the sorrows. I desire nothing but to put an end to it. Please, I beg you, maker. End this, show us mercy."

Zathrian sighed.

"You shame me…I am an old man, alive long past his time."

The Lady's eyes widened.

"You will put an end to the curse?" she asked in surprise.

He nodded.

"Yes…let us put an end to all of this."

Swiftrunner looked to the Lady and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. She placed her hand atop his and looked back at Zathrian. He raised his staff and thrust it to the ground. Zathrian fell as the room was filled with a bright light. All the other werewolves surrounded the lady. Bridget closed her eyes as the brightness was too much. When she re-opened them…all of the werewolves were now humans. The man she guessed to be Swiftrunner gazed at his hands and then looked at her.

"I can't believe it…it's over…"

Bridget smiled.

"What of you now?" she asked.

Swiftrunner smiled.

"We'll leave the forest and find other humans, I suppose. We cannot thank you enough human…err…"

Bridget chuckled softly.

"It's Bridget, Swiftrunner." She stated.

He smiled.

"Thank you, we will never forget you."

With that said he and the other freed humans ran from the temple. Bridget turned to the others.

"Guess we should head back to the Dalish Camp and explain all of this."

And so Bridget and the others exited the ruin and trekked back through the Brecilian Forest. Upon reaching the camp, Lanaya, the new Keeper ran up to them.

"It is remarkable, all of our people are cured! But Zathrian…"

Bridget placed her hand on her shoulder.

"He died a hero, Lanaya." She stated.

Lanaya nodded.

"I felt it, when he passed. Please stay with us tonight to celebrate the end of the curse. We will have food and music!"

Bridget turned to the others.

"I think we earned ourselves a little relaxation, don't you?"

Everyone nodded eagerly. Bridget turned back to Lanaya.

"We'd love to stay."

Lanaya grinned.

"Excellent! We will begin preparations right away!"


	24. Chapter 23: Alistair's Secret

Chapter 23

Alistair's Secret

True to their word, the elves prepared a lovely celebration in honor of Bridget and the rest of her party for their help in ending the curse. Since the forest was now free of werewolves, the hunters were allowed back in to hunt once more, and they did. They returned with a giant bear, Cammen having shot the killing bow! The elves set to work on skinning the bear and then setting it over a large fire to roast. Varathorn took the liberty of making apple cider for everyone. Alistair scanned the crowd of the happy elves. Some already began dancing to the music that the minstrel elves were playing, others had found quiet places to sit with their loved ones. He sat down unknowingly next to Morrigan and watched as the elves danced. He hadn't seen Bridget since they returned from the forest. He assumed that perhaps she and Lanaya were speaking about the treaties. Alistair grabbed a nearby cup of apple cider and drank it slowly. The spicy liquid warmed his chilled bones. He sighed as he looked down into his lap. No longer could he wait to tell Bridget his birthright. It had to be tonight before things went any further between them.

"Maker…she probably won't even look at me the same way once I tell her…" he whispered softly to himself.

Morrigan narrowed her eyes and looked up from her Grimoire to stare at him.

"What's wrong with you? Why do you look so forlorn?" she asked.

Alistair looked up at her.

"That's really none of your business, is it?" he snapped.

Morrigan raised an eyebrow.

"And here I was trying to be nice. If you are looking for Bridget she is over there." Morrigan said as she pointed ahead of her and returned back to her book.

Alistair followed her direction and saw Bridget standing in the distance. His eyes widened as he thought he felt his heart skip a beat. Bridget was not wearing her usual armor, nor was she wearing a shirt or breeches. Instead she was adorned in a sapphire blue gown that ended at the back of her calves. Alistair smiled. She had her hair in a beautiful braid with flowers woven into it. When she turned, a fine blush spread across Alistair's face. The dress must've been originally meant for an elf, as it was shorter on her but…her bosom looked like it was about to spill over the top! Alistair quickly stood and scanned the crowd once more, this time for Zevran. He knew as soon as the perverted elf laid his eyes on Bridget's chest, it'd be like a honing beacon beckoning for him to zone in on that particular area. Unfortunately for poor Alistair, Zevran beat him to her and not a moment later were they with the other couples who were dancing around the large bonfire. Alistair frowned and walked back off to the side, resting his back against a tree. He crossed his arms and watched as Zevran and Bridget danced. He wasn't about to let his eyes off of them, either. That was his plan, however until Wynne caught his attention by standing next to him. Alistair nodded towards her then turned his head back quickly to watch Bridget and Zevran again.

"You really do care about her…don't you?"

Alistair furrowed his brow and turned his attention to Wynne.

"W-What?" he asked.

Wynne smiled up at him sweetly.

"You're the one who gave her the rose…weren't you?"

Alistair blushed.

"How do you know about that?" he asked.

Wynne tilted her head to the side and replied,

"She asked me to enchant it so it would never wither."

The corner of Alistair's mouth twitched into a smile.

"She did?" he asked slowly.

Wynne nodded.

"Bridget also told me that she keeps it with her at all times, in her pack. I believe she has it pressed between the pages of her journal."

Alistair grinned widely. Wynne looked to her feet and said,

"I apologize for what I said earlier…that you two should not be together. If you make each other happy, then you should stay that way. Everyone deserves happiness." She stated.

Alistair sighed.

"I'm not sure exactly if she _will_ be happy with me, once I tell her…"

Wynne raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Alistair sighed and explained in a hush tone who his father was and what he was possibly entitled to. Wynne remained silent as he expressed his fears that Bridget would turn him away since he had kept this from her for so long, or that she might treat him differently, just as all the others had. After he finished, Wynne patted him on the arm and said,

"Alistair…if Bridget loves you, she will accept you no matter who your parents were. However…if you become king, that may place a strain on your relationship with her. Perhaps it is best if you both end whatever you have now before either one of you gets hurt…"

Alistair pondered her response as she walked away. He turned his attention back to the couples again and immediately panic rushed through him. Bridget was no where in sight…and neither was Zevran. What if that blasted elf had gone and kissed her too, just like Leliana! Alistair quickly began searching for Bridget as an even worse thought crept into his mind. What if he was somewhere giving her a _massage_? Just as Alistair was about to lose all hope, he literally ran right into Bridget, nearly knocking her backwards. He placed a hand on her hip to steady her. Bridget smiled brilliantly up at him.

"There you are! I've been looking for you!" she exclaimed.

Alistair swallowed and smiled at her nervously.

"I've been looking for you as well, may we speak,"

Before Alistair could finish his sentence, the minstrel elves began playing another song…this one, however, was different from the last. So far all of the songs of the evening had been fast paced and happy. This one now though, was soft and romantic. Bridget slipped her hand into Alistair's.

"Will you dance with me?" she asked softly.

Alistair felt his heart melt when he looked into her eyes. How could he say no?

"Of course." He whispered.

Bridget smiled up at him warmly as she led him towards the large bonfire where the other elves stood dancing. Alistair was no dancer...and he hoped to the Maker he wouldn't maul Bridget's toes with his clumsy feet. Once at the bonfire, Bridget lifted Alistair's right hand and pressed hers against his. Alistair glanced at the other elves and mimicked their movements by placing his left arm behind his back as Bridget did the same. Slowly they turned in a circle before switching hands and repeating the same move. . Alistair took a deep breath as a small bit of wind drifted past him. He noticed that the wind caught the stray pieces of Bridget's bangs and danced with them, the strands were like strings of gold flying with the light breeze. Alistair noticed the way the bouncing firelight reflected off of her hair and ivory skin. Bridget could not be any more beautiful than she was at this very moment. Alistair cast his gaze over her and noted that the silk fabric of the dress she wore. It was a perfect match to her sapphire eyes. His eyes drifted up her body. A gold thread was masterfully sewn into the sides of the bodice as swirls. He continued to drift his gaze over her, now stopping at her rather full chest. After a moment, Alistair blushed when he realized he had been staring and blinked and raised his gaze. His eyes locked with hers, and he hoped Bridget hadn't caught him staring at her bosom…Maker that would be an embarrassment! They switched palms again for the second half of the dance.

Bridget swept her eyes over Alistair and smiled up at him. She loved the way how the firelight made his hair glow…and his honey colored eyes. She laced her fingers with his, wanting to envelop her soft hand in the callousness of his. Bridget's heart felt like it would burst. In this moment, it seemed as if all the others that surrounded them had disappeared. To Bridget it was like she and Alistair were the only living things in the forest. She grinned in anticipation for the next part of the dance. They would have to get very close as Alistair would have to lift her into the air and spin her around in place. Bridget stared into his eyes as he placed his hands on her hips and lifted her into the air with ease. They spun around in place twice before he gently lowered her to her feet. Bridget encircled her arms around Alistair's neck as he lowered her and pulled him into a kiss. She knew she had surprised him because he stiffened, but immediately he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her waist. Bridget sighed happily as Alistair sucked on her bottom lip.

Alistair's eyes flew open. What was he doing? He had to stop kissing her; he had to tell her his secret! Oh but her lips were so soft…Alistair pulled away from Bridget and swallowed. He looked into her eyes and saw that she held a questioning gaze.

"Something wrong?" she asked slowly.

Alistair shook his head and took a deep breath.

"Do you know of a place where we can speak…privately?"

For some reason Bridget immediately brightened, as well as blushed. Why was she blushing…was it because of the kiss? She slipped her hand into his and smiled shyly at him.

"Follow me." She whispered.

Bridget practically dragged him away from the celebration. Alistair happened to catch Zevran's gaze as he and Bridget were walking away. The elf raised his eyebrows for a split second before grinning widely and giving Alistair a thumb's up. What in Andraste's good name was wrong with him?

Nerves had settled themselves in the pit of Bridget's stomach and she knew that in no time soon would they leave her. She was rather surprised by Alistair's boldness…and wasn't expecting him to want to make love to her for quite some time being as he was so shy all the time. Although he did say he would find himself becoming bolder after they shared that kiss in the forest…whatever the reason, she was completely happy. She led Alistair to the nearby river and sat on one of the many blankets lain out on the ground. Lanaya had said that whenever they celebrate the elves always have another place set aside for quiet time with loved ones to look up at the stars. The small area was perfect. Here and there lanterns were lit and cast a dim yellow glow on the forest floor and the surrounding trees. Fireflies were abundant and occupied some of the flowers nearby. The setting couldn't get any better. Bridget and Alistair sat on the blanket that was closest to the river. Bridget sat on her knees in front of him and raised an eyebrow.

"So…what did you wish to talk about?" she asked slowly as her hand discreetly reached behind her back to release the buttons that held the dress together.

Alistair looked into his lap and sighed. His stomach felt like a swarm of butterflies had taken up shelter within it and were bouncing around. Alistair licked his lips and said,

"I…I need to tell you…MAKER'S BREATH WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Bridget nearly jumped completely out of her dress! She was in the process of pushing the fabric down her shoulders before Alistair nearly scared her to death. Bridget looked at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Alistair gaped at her.

"Why are you…_undressing_?"

Bridget drew her brows together in confusion.

"Um…well…didn't you wish to find some where private so we could make love?"

Bridget was sure even if there was no light in the area she could still see the redness on Alistair's face.

"Andraste's flaming sword, no! I don't want to have sex with you!" he exclaimed.

Bridget gave him a haughty look as she quickly pulled her dress back up over her shoulders.

"Well _excuse_ me!" she replied.

Alistair buried his face in his hands.

"No, that's not what I meant; I _do_, not right now of course, but…ah…"

Bridget shook her head. She had never been so embarrassed before in her life…but this whole situation was absolutely hilarious. She burst into a fit of giggles and looked back up at him.

"Oh…this was my fault…I misread your meaning…" she said still trying to catch her breath from her laughter.

Alistair smiled at her nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well I…I'm glad you found some humor in the situation at least." He said awkwardly.

A long, embarrassing silence followed as Bridget readjusted her dress back to normal. Once finished she looked at Alistair (who was still blushing) and cleared her throat.

"So…what did you want to talk about?"

Alistair looked up at her and sighed. He moved closer to her and took her hands in his.

"I…I need to tell you this now, before any thing else happens between us."

Bridget drew her brows together.

"I'm not going to like this…am I?"

Alistair broke their gaze and shook his head.

"No." he murmured.

Bridget lifted Alistair's chin with her fingertips.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

Alistair licked his lips and said.

"I haven't been very truthful…about my past." He said slowly.

Bridget blinked.

"What haven't you told me?" she asked.

Alistair swallowed and said.

"Well…I was sent to the Chantry after Eamon was married…but the reason he took me in was because…I'm the bastard son of King Maric."

Bridget looked at Alistair for a long moment. Had she _really_ just heard what she thought she had? By the pained look on Alistair's face…Bridget guessed that she had. She took a deep breath and asked in a tight voice,

"Doesn't that make you entitled to the throne?"

Alistair nodded slowly.

"It does, but I don't want it. Eamon should get it, he was Maric's brother,"

"Why did you wait so long to tell me?" Bridget snapped.

Alistair looked at her and felt his heart crumble. Tears brimmed her eyes, and one escaped and rolled down her face. She stood and turned her back to him.

"Alistair I told you _everything_ about me, my family…why did you keep this from me? Did you not trust me?"

Alistair shook his head.

"No that's not it at all I…people just treat me different once they find out…and…well, I guess I wanted you to like me for 'just Alistair' not 'the bastard son of king Maric'."

Bridget turned around sharply and looked at him. She sat in front of him and held his face in her hands.

"Alistair, you were never 'just Alistair' to me. You're 'Alistair my friend', 'Alistair my companion'… 'Alistair…the man I think I'm falling in love with'…"

Alistair lifted his gaze to look at her.

"You thought you're falling in love with me, even when we first met?" he asked jokingly.

Bridget frowned.

"Now's not the time." She quipped.

Alistair dropped his smile.

"Sorry…d-does this mean you're not mad?"

Bridget sighed and leaned back from him, crossing her arms.

"I didn't say that. I'm hurt that you felt like you couldn't tell me this from the beginning."

Alistair rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know I should have…I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner…I just didn't want to lose you, I guess."

Bridget dropped her arms to her sides and scooted closer to him. She caressed the side of his face and whispered,

"You aren't going to lose me, Alistair."

He smiled at her and gently kissed her lips. Bridget kissed him back but pushed Alistair away and shook her head.

"Not so fast, I didn't say that you're entirely forgiven…yet." She stated, a coy smile on her lips.

Alistair raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what must I do to get back in your good graces?" he asked.

Bridget tipped her head to the side and pretended to have a serious look on her face.

"Hmm…well…"

Alistair chuckled.

"Let me make it easy for you," he said before he poked her in her side.

Bridget jumped and looked at him.

"Don't you dare!" she laughed.

Ah but Bridget couldn't keep Alistair's hands at bay and he tickled her senseless. Bridget fell backwards, pulling Alistair with her. He hovered over her, laughing as well. His laughter didn't last long, however as Alistair realized that he was in fact on his hands and knees, hovering over her. Bridget noticed this too as her giggles died out. Alistair swallowed as he cast his eyes over her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to regain all the breath she lost from laughing so much. Alistair smiled warmly as he stared into Bridget's loving gaze. He found that he could find himself in those eyes. Alistair lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her deeply. Bridget wrapped her arms around his neck and held him to her tightly. Their mouths moved against one another's. What started out as a simple kiss soon grew fiery and passionate. Alistair pushed his tongue forward into Bridget's open mouth and found hers. Their tongues entwined as Alistair found himself being turned over so that Bridget sat atop him. Bridget broke the kiss for a breath of air and raised herself to look down at him. Alistair was blushing like mad…but that didn't stop him from running his hands over the silk cloth covering Bridget's legs. She tipped her head to the side.

"You sure you want to wait…?" she asked as she felt his apparent arousal against her thigh.

Alistair closed his eyes as his blush grew deeper. Maker this woman was persistent! He reopened his eyes and swallowed.

"I'm willing to give it a shot…if you are…" he said nervously.

Bridget looked down at him and pondered his response before shaking her head, lightly kissing him on his cheek, and standing.

"I think we'll wait. That's what you get for keeping your secret for so long."

Alistair chuckled, _very_ relieved that Bridget was letting it go. He wanted her, yes…but he wanted to wait for the right time and this just wasn't it. Alistair got to his feet and cleared his throat.

"We should head back, I'm sure they're all probably wondering what happened to us." He stated.

Bridget nodded and slipped her hand into his.

"Probably, and I'm getting pretty tired."

Alistair bit his lip.

"Can I ask you something?"

Bridget looked at him.

"You're not hiding anything else…are you?" she asked.

Alistair chuckled and shook his head.

"No…I…I was wondering if when we go to Denerim we might could look someone up. I've supposedly got a sister there…and I'd really like to meet her…"

Bridget smiled warmly at Alistair and lightly kissed him on his cheek.

"Of course we'll meet her, Alistair."

He grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You don't know how much that means to me." He said.

They walked back just like that to the celebration…where Zevran was eagerly waiting for them. Alistair frowned as the elf approached them. He clapped his hands together and grinned.

"So…dipped your wick, did you?" he asked before bursting out laughing.

Bridget raised her eyebrows at Zevran and then looked at Alistair, who was blushing furiously and looked like he wanted to run his sword threw Zevran at that point. She face palmed herself.

"Maker help us all!" she chuckled.

A/N: This chapter was supposed to be a lot more serious than it turned out, but I like this version a lot better. I hope you guys enjoyed the fluff I threw in! There will be more to come!


	25. Chapter 24: Goldanna

Chapter 24

Goldanna

The following morning, Bridget and the others bid farewell to the elves after thanking them for all of their help. Lanaya promised that she and the other elves would gladly give their aid against the Blight and thanked Bridget once more for all of her help. Bridget led the others out of the Brecilian Forest and back onto the main dirt road. Bridget pulled her cloak out of her pack and threw it around her shoulders, pulling up it's hood. She turned and looked at her other party members to see them do the same.

"We have a lot of ground to cover today, Denerim is quite the journey. Let's not stop until we simply cannot go anymore, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can move on."

The others nodded as Bridget turned and led them down the dirt road. What she wouldn't give for a horse right about now. The air was cold, and it was terribly windy. Bridget looked up into the sky and frowned. Dark clouds filled the sky, blocking out the sun completely. They looked like they were about to burst too and dump all of their contents on Bridget and the others. They walked for hours. No body really said anything to anyone else as everyone just tried to keep their cloaks from blowing away. A familiar foul stench filled the air, causing Bridget to draw her blade. The others withdrew their weapons as well. Once they approached the source of the smell, Bridget slowly lowered her blade and sighed. Five bodies lay strewn out along the road, each having been killed in some horrible way. Bridget bent down to inspect one of the bodies. She carefully withdrew the arrow that was sticking out of the man's side and examined it.

"This is not a Darkspawn arrow." She stated after a moment.

She looked at the others to see Zevran sighing and shaking his head.

"No…I know these arrows, this is the work of the Crows."

Bridget raised an eyebrow as she threw the arrow on the ground and stood. Zevran paced back and forth and said,

"They are after me, you know this…I fear we may run into Taliesen sooner than I anticipated…"

Bridget walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"If we do run into him Zevran, we have nothing to fear. I already defeated one Antivan Crow…what's another one?"

Zevran grinned and chuckled.

"This is true…but Taliesen is far more skilled than I…"

Bridget shrugged.

"I like a challenge. Come now, we must keep moving."

They continued on for hours again until it became too dark to see the road. Bridget and the others retreated into the nearby forest and began to set up camp. Everyone was exhausted, but knew that they had wasted a considerable amount of time since they stayed for the celebration with the Dalish. Once Bridget set up her tent she sat by the fire and removed her boots. She whimpered slightly as she rubbed her feet. Leliana did her best with the few ingredients they had and was able to whip up something that was at least edible. Bridget stood and removed her armor and then helped Alistair with his. They rejoined the others and ate the soup that Leliana had prepared. Bridget savored what little taste it had. Once they reached Denerim they would have to get some more supplies, as they were running low. As they ate, Leliana and Zevran quietly played a game of cards, whilst Wynne and Morrigan spoke in hushed tones about runes and the Arcane Arts. Zeus laid his head in Bridget's lap and she petted him. Bridget smiled tiredly at Alistair as he retook his seat next to her. She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed.

"We've got about three more days before we get there." She said softly.

Alistair nodded.

"I hope Brother Genitivi will be able to help…"

Bridget looked at him.

"With our luck he's probably been kidnapped by some crazed cultist group or something."

Alistair laughed.

"You know, you're probably right. I really hope not though, for our sake."

Bridget chuckled as well as she rested her head against his shoulder once more. Alistair looked down at her and smiled warmly. He slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. It was when he did so that he noticed a silver chain around her neck.

"What's that you're wearing?" he asked.

Bridget pulled back slightly and furrowed her brow before she realized what Alistair was referring to. She pulled the necklace with Andraste's symbol on it out for him to see. Alistair's eyes widened.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked.

Bridget looked at him.

"I found it when we were at Arl Eamon's estate…" she said slowly.

Alistair looked at her and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, you're probably wondering why I'm so interested in it. This was actually my mother's…the only thing I had of hers, really. I thought I had lost it to my own stupidity though as I had thrown it against a wall when I found out I was being sent to the Chantry…"

Bridget tipped her head to the side.

"Perhaps Eamon wished to return it to you."

Alistair looked into his lap and nodded slowly.

"He did come by several times to see me…but me and my stubborn self wouldn't go out to see him…"

Bridget went to remove the necklace from her neck before Alistair caught her hands in his. She gave him a questioning look as he shook his head.

"I want you to have it…it suits you more than it would me anyhow."

Bridget smiled and gently placed a kiss to his lips.

"Thank you, Alistair…I shall cherish it forever."

He grinned and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. Bridget looked into his eyes and noticed that they didn't have their usual spark.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Alistair lifted his gaze to her eyes and sighed.

"I was wondering…when we go to meet my sister…can it just be us? I would prefer the others not be present…"

Bridget nodded.

"Of course…are you sure you want me to come with you?"

Alistair chuckled softly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

He leaned in and kissed her slowly. Bridget returned the kiss and after a moment they broke apart. She stood and stretched.

"I'm off to bed, goodnight, Alistair."

Zevran watched the two closely as he drew from the deck of cards. He smirked when he noticed the familiar look of longing held in Alistair's gaze.

"Goodnight." He replied softly.

Alistair then went into his own tent. Zevran chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Won't be long now before the snake buries itself in the grass…"

Leliana looked at him.

"Pardon?" she asked.

Zevran threw his head back and chuckled.

"Oh nothing by dear Leliana, just talking with myself…"

The following morning, the group packed up camp and continued heading north to Denerim. Luckily the trip was a quiet one and they ran into no highwaymen or Darkspawn. It was two more days until they were finally on the outskirts of the great city. Bridget stared up at the large walls, in the distance, her eyes glazed over in a memory. Alistair noticed this and asked,

"Have you ever been here before?"

It took a moment before Bridget replied.

"Yes…though it has been a while. I was just wondering if Howe was here…that's all."

Alistair furrowed his brow as Bridget turned to address the others.

"Okay, everyone else will remain here to set up camp while Alistair and I go and retrieve some supplies."

They stared at her blankly. Bridget crossed her arms.

"What?" she asked.

Zevran sighed.

"Can we not stay in an inn within the city? I would love to sleep in a bed for once."

Bridget sighed. Once again she did not know how much money they actually had. Although a nice bed after all this traveling would be most welcomed. Bridget looked at Wynne. The elderly mage looked very worn and completely exhausted. Bridget smiled.

"You know Zevran, I think you have made an excellent suggestion. Hopefully it won't be, hey!"

Bridget didn't get to finish her sentence as everyone picked up their pace and headed into the city. Everyone except for Zeus, of course. She turned to Alistair, who shrugged and said,

"Guess he really wanted that bed."

They walked through the large gates of the city together and, after asking where the nearest tavern was, headed toward the Gnawed Noble. Before they got their, Bridget had to pry Zeus away from a little boy he had found and wanted to play with. Bridget approached the man behind the bar and cleared her throat. He turned and raised his eyebrows.

"You looking a room too? I just had a strange bunch walk in, two mages, some elf and a red head. They took all the rooms I had…except for one!"

Bridget raised an eyebrow and looked at Alistair.

"Wouldn't that just figure?" she asked.

Alistair blushed slightly and cleared his throat. Bridget placed some silver pieces on the counter as the barman handed her a room key. She thanked him and climbed the wooden staircase, Zeus trotting behind her followed by Alistair.

"You know, I'm starting to think what Zevran said about fate is true…" he mumbled.

Bridget chuckled and found the door to their room. She turned the lock and stepped in. Alistair moved to follow before the door next to theirs opened and revealed Zevran. Alistair narrowed his eyes.

"You did this on purpose." He whispered.

Zevran shrugged.

"You may thank me later!" he said merrily before shutting his door once more.

Alistair shook his head as he followed Zeus into the room, shutting the door behind him. He turned to see Bridget standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

"You feeling the déjà vu too?" she asked.

Before Alistair asked what she meant, he looked around the room and noticed it looked very similar to the room they shared at the Spoiled Princess. There was only one bed, of course but luckily the washroom was attached as a whole different room. Alistair watched as Bridget reached into her pack and pulled out her coin purse and began counting. This was going to be difficult. Yes they had shared a bed before…but their relationship was quite different back then compared to now. His thoughts didn't last very long before Bridget walked up to him.

"Do you want to go and see your sister now?" she asked.

Alistair looked at her and felt a knot form in his stomach.

"Yes…let's go now while the others are…busy."

Bridget nodded as she slipped the room key back in her pack, ordered Zeus to stay in the room and then exited the room with Alistair. Since they were alone, Bridget slipped her hand in Alistair's and gave it a light squeeze. She could see the nervousness in his eyes and hoped to the Maker that this sister of his would accept him.

No such luck, of course.

Alistair led the way once they were outside again. Bridget pulled her cloak around her, pulling up the hood. She didn't know if any of Howe's men walked the streets at night, and certainly didn't want the chance of any of them recognizing her.

"Here, I believe this is her house." He stated.

Bridget looked up at him and smiled.

"You sure you want me to go inside with you?" she asked.

Alistair nodded and turned his gaze on her.

"I can't do this without you." He whispered.

Bridget squeezed his hand again as Alistair knocked on the door and opened it.

"H-Hello?"

A haggard looking woman with red hair emerged from another room. She wore a dirty apron and an orange hued beat up looking dress.

"You need washing done? You've come to the right place, I'm a lot cheaper than that Natalia woman."

Alistair cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Um no…I'm not here to have any wash done…you are Goldanna, yes? If so…then, well…I'm your brother, Alistair."

Goldanna drew her brows together in confusion.

"I am Goldanna yes…what kind of tomfoolery are you people up to?"

Bridget looked at Alistair as he swallowed.

"Well…our mother was a serving girl in the king's castle…a very long time ago and,"

Goldanna's eyes widened then turned into narrow slits, like a snake's.

"_You!_ I knew it! They told me you was dead, gave me a coin to shut my mouth and sent me on my way but I _knew_ they was lying!"

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"Who told you that?"

Goldanna scoffed.

"Thems at the castle of course, they didn't want _that_ slipping out now did they!"

Alistair swallowed again.

"I…I'm sorry, I didn't know that…but I didn't die…I'm here, I'm your brother."

Goldanna rolled her eyes.

"And what good is that to me? You killed mother you did, and now I'm left with five mouths to feed! That coin didn't last very long, and when I went back they ran me off!"

Bridget shook her head.

"Goldanna, Alistair came here hoping to find his family." She stated.

Goldanna turned her cold eyes to Bridget and raised an eyebrow.

"And who in the Maker's name are you hmm? Some whore of his following him around after his riches?"

Bridget narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to retort and tell this woman exactly what she could go do to herself, but Alistair cut her off by saying.

"Hey, don't speak to her like that, she's my friend and a Grey Warden as well, like me!"

Bridget turned and looked at him. That was the first time she heard true anger in his voice. Goldanna raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Ooh a prince and a Grey Warden too, well who am I to compare to someone so high and mighty as that?" she spat.

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"You're a real bitch, you know that?" she quipped.

Alistair sighed.

"Let's just go…" he said sadly.

Goldanna waved them off with her hand.

"I don't know you boy and I don't care to, get out of my house!"

She slammed the door behind them and Bridget heard it click as well. Alistair was staring at his feet. Bridget placed her hand on his arm.

"Are you alright, Alistair?" she asked softly.

He sighed and looked at her.

"I just can't believe that shrew is my sister…I was a fool to think that she would accept me. I'm sorry we even came."

Bridget placed a hand on the side of his face and lifted his head so he would look at her.

"Most people are just out for themselves sweetheart, it's a sad reality…but it's one we live in."

Alistair nodded.

"I suppose you're right…I guess I should start sticking up for myself more often…"

Bridget wrapped her arms around Alistair's waist and pulled him into a tight hug. Alistair buried his face in her soft hair and hugged her back. After a few minutes they pulled apart and Alistair stared into Bridget's eyes. While staring into her sparkling sapphire orbs he found that he saw himself…that he knew himself. It was at that moment that Alistair realized he didn't want Bridget.

He needed her.

A/N: _As I promised, next chapter there will be lots of fluff/sweet smut, if you can make it sweet, which I intend to! (Or at least try, anyhow). _


	26. Chapter 25: First Knight

Chapter 25

First Knight

His eyes never left her as Bridget led the way back to the Gnawed Noble. Alistair sighed as he swallowed nervously. His stomach felt like it had twisted itself in a huge knot, and Alistair was pretty sure it would remain that way until the end of the night. He bit his lip as they entered the tavern, and with each step they took his worries and nerves seemed to grow that much more. What if he was no good at it? After all, this was his first time; he could be terrible for all he knew! Alistair sighed as he shook his head. He wasn't even sure if Bridget was a virgin or not. If she was, then he wouldn't feel _as_ bad as he did…but if she wasn't, then she would have someone to compare him to…he sighed sadly as he followed her into the room. Maker he was a mess! He didn't even hear Bridget remove her armor and close the door to the bathroom he was so distraught! Alistair removed his own armor and sat on the edge of the bed. Zeus trotted up to him and quirked his head to the side as he stared up at Alistair with a questioning gaze. Alistair sighed and buried his face in his hands. He was at a complete loss…he had no idea what to do, or even where to begin! He shook his head. Bridget needed a man that knew how to love her…not some sheltered bastard prince who can't even kiss her without turning beet red.

"Alistair, are you alright?"

He jumped suddenly when he heard her voice and turned to look at her. Bridget wore a long white tunic over a pair of black leggings that clung to her skin sinfully. Alistair guessed that she had not completely dried herself as some parts of her shirt appeared damp and hugged her flesh. Alistair cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I-I'm fine, why wouldn't I be fine? Nope there's nothing wrong at all, what so ever!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking from his nerves.

Bridget drew her brows together and walked towards him. She sat down next to him on the bed.

"Are you thinking about the whole Goldanna thing? Is that why you look like you're about to be sick?"

Alistair swallowed. Maker he didn't think he looked _that_ bad! He quickly stood when she touched his arm, his flesh burning for her touch through the thin fabric of his shirt. Alistair began to pace back and forth in front of her, running a hand through his hair and chewing on his bottom lip.

"I…no, I'm not thinking about…_that_." He replied, in a cracked voice once again.

Zeus whined and clawed at the door. Bridget stood and walked over to him.

"Maybe you should relax…the bathroom's all yours. I'm going to go and take Zeus outside for a minute."

Alistair sighed and nodded as he watched Bridget step through the door and close it behind her. Alistair walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, resting his back against the wood. It was at this moment that Alistair realized he was indeed doomed. He walked over to the washtub and filled it with water. Alistair removed his clothes and settled into the warm liquid, letting it envelop his aching muscles. Why was this so hard for him? Why couldn't he be like Zevran and automatically know what to do? Alistair sighed as he scrubbed his skin, washing away all the dirt and grime of the day. After finishing he stood and dried himself, then pulled his breeches and shirt back on. Alistair exited the washroom to find Bridget sitting on the bed, minus Zeus. Alistair furrowed his brow.

"Where's,"

Bridget turned and looked at him.

"We ran into Zevran in the tavern and Zeus ended up following him into his room once we came back up the stairs. I swear it seems like any and everything just can't resist that man." She chuckled.

Alistair chuckled softly as he stared down at her. Bridget's hair for once was out of the bun she always kept it in. Since she kept it up all the time, it had a slight curl as it rested past her shoulders and down her back. Alistair bit his lip as he rubbed the back of his neck. It was now…or never.

"Bridget?" he asked softly.

Bridget (who had begun pulling back the blankets to climb in) stopped her task and looked up at him.

"Hmm?" she replied.

Alistair took a deep breath and said,

"I…thank you for coming with me to see Goldanna…and for talking me down afterwards. I just wanted to tell you that…well you're a true friend and…I-I love you."

Bridget raised an eyebrow as she dropped the blankets she held in her hands and walked up to Alistair.

"I didn't quite catch that last part." She said softly.

Alistair chuckled and smiled down at her.

"I love you." He said again, his heart racing.

Bridget smiled warmly up at him and kissed him tenderly.

"I love you too, Alistair." She whispered as she pulled away.

She had turned to go back to the bed, but Alistair caught her hand in his. Bridget looked over her shoulder at him, her lips curved up into a soft smile.

"Yes?" she asked coyly.

Alistair swallowed and felt heat rise to his cheeks.

"Bridget I…I've never felt this way about anyone…I told you I wasn't ready before…but now, I think I am."

Bridget's eyes widened slightly as she turned to face him fully.

"You're sure?" she asked.

Alistair nodded.

"You know I've never done this before…I want it to be with you, tonight only the first of many, I hope." He murmured.

Bridget slipped her hands in his and slowly led him toward the bed. Maker only knows how Alistair's legs didn't buckle beneath him. They climbed atop the soft mattress together and faced each other, both of them sitting on their knees. Alistair took comfort in the inviting glow the candles around the room gave off, casting every thing in the room in a yellow-orange hue. They both moved together slowly and claimed each other's lips. Alistair slowly moved his mouth against Bridget's, releasing his tongue to let it glide across her bottom lip. Bridget smiled and opened her mouth wider for her lover so that their tongues could entwine. Bridget pressed herself closer to Alistair and wrapped her arms around his neck, turning her head and deepening the kiss. He broke the kiss a few minutes later for a breath of air. Bridget stared into Alistair's face and smiled. His eyes had already changed color…they were certainly darker…but they still held traces of fear. Bridget swallowed, hoping she wasn't too bold in kissing him like that right from the beginning and decided to kiss him softly instead. She placed either one of her hands on the sides of Alistair's face and claimed his mouth tenderly. Alistair responded by placing his hands on her waist. He dared not move them anywhere until Bridget allowed him to. Alistair kissed her back, moving his lips over hers slowly. He caught hold of her bottom lip and sucked on it, earning his first moan from Bridget. The kiss broke and Bridget gazed into Alistair's eyes. Alistair felt his neck become hot as he was sure his face was as red as a beet. The look on her face was so intoxicating. Her sapphire eyes were dark, filled with a mixture of love and lust. Her lips were red and plump.

When he felt her hands on his, Alistair was forced to tear his gaze from her face and watch as she moved his hands slowly up her torso until she brought them over her breasts.

Alistair swallowed as he moved his hands over the fabric of her shirt. He felt a jerking sensation in his abdomen and felt himself rise against his breeches. Bridget smiled shyly at him as she lowered his hands again. This time she slipped them under her shirt and gently pushed them upwards again. Alistair released a small guttural moan as his calloused hands roamed over the smoothness of Bridget's skin. She removed her hands from his and went to pull the shirt over her head. Alistair placed shaky hands back to her breasts and felt his neck become hot. The fabric of her small top was not very thick and left nothing to the imagination as he could feel her mounds beneath his hands harden. He looked into her eyes again and as he did so she pulled him into a kiss. Bridget fell back against the cool bed sheets and Alistair caught himself from falling on top of her with one of his hands. He kissed her soundlessly, leaving all forms of propriety behind. Suddenly everything he needed to know seemed to come to him: where to kiss, how to touch…how to please his heart's desire. And that's just what he did. Feeling her chest against his caused them both to release complacent sighs. Bridget ran her fingers through his short, honey-hued locks. Alistair broke the kiss and raised himself slightly. He placed his hands at the hem of his shirt and tugged it up and over his head. As he tossed it to the side, Bridget ran her small hands down his broad and chiseled chest. In the flickering candlelight, Alistair looked like a god before her, his chest rising and falling with his slow, steady breaths. He swept his gaze over her and caressed the side of her face. Bridget turned her head into his hand and kissed his palm. She then trailed those kisses to his wrist. Alistair let his other hand become entangled by her golden tresses as he lowered himself to her and kissed his love again. Bridget slowly lifted herself a bit, enough to reach behind her and unclasp her small top. Once removed, she blushed and looked up at Alistair. He smiled sweetly at her and kissed the wing of her nose, and then her mouth. He blushed as he dropped his gaze to her breasts, and he released a sigh as he watched them rise and fall in timing with Bridget's every breath. Alistair slowly moved his hand down from the side of her face past her neck and stopped at the top of her breast. His hand began to tremble as he lowered it to Bridget's breast…but once she placed hers atop his, he was fine. Bridget sighed against Alistair's lips as the callousness of his hand rubbed up against the very sensitive flesh of her breast. Alistair returned to her lips and claimed Bridget's mouth with his in a slow, romantic kiss. He then removed his lips from her mouth and let them explore the rest of her exposed skin. Lightly he trailed kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. He swallowed as he moved on to the valley of her breasts, splaying kisses all around them.

Alistair moved his hands down her flat stomach as he gently took one of her mounds in his mouth. He looked up at her as he tenderly began to suck on the rose bud. Bridget's eyes rolled back as she closed them, running her fingers through Alistair's hair and releasing soft mewls of pleasure. Liking the sounds Bridget made, Alistair continued his ministrations on her left breast. Once finished there, he trailed his kisses down her flat stomach until the waistband of her leggings kept him from going further. Alistair raised himself and smiled. He realized just how beautiful she was in that moment. Her golden hair splayed across the pillows, the light flush across her skin, the way her chest steadily rose and fell with each breath she took, and the way the candlelight gleamed off of her slightly glistening body. He didn't get to admire her long, however before Bridget had caught him by surprise and it was he who was resting against the mattress. She straddled his waist and Alistair's breath hitched as she rubbed up against his growing arousal. Maker…they hadn't even done anything besides kissed and touched! He wasn't sure how much longer he could last, but wanted to drag out this moment with Bridget as long as he could.

Bridget pressed her body against Alistair's when she kissed him. Alistair wrapped his arms around her small waist and held her in his strong embrace as she moved her mouth over his. He ravished in the feel of her breasts being against his chest, the feel of her long hair tickling his sensitive skin, the feel of just her skin against his. Alistair sighed happily as Bridget broke the kiss and placed a sweet kiss on the end of his nose. She trailed her kisses to his neck next and then ran her tongue over the place she had just kissed and sucked on the skin. She felt his erection brush up against her thigh once again and smiled against his skin. She raised her head and smirked at her handiwork as a small reminder of her kiss was already forming against the skin of his neck. Bridget then showered his chest with kisses, nipping and sucking Alistair's soft, untouched skin. She raised herself and danced her fingers across his skin, loving the feel of his coarse chest hair against her soft fingertips. She continued to run her hands down his chiseled chest and traced the darker line of hair that began at the end of his naval and stretched into the waistband of his trousers. Bridget looked at Alistair as she pulled at one string of his trousers, and then another. Soon she had loosened the fabric enough to slide it down his hips. Bridget however, didn't get the chance to do so as Alistair sat up straight then. He placed his hands on her bottom and gently lifted her up onto his lap. Bridget wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged him tightly, moaning and whispering his name as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. They stayed in that position for a while, just holding each other and kissing each other, whispering 'I love you' softly into the other's ear, over and over again.

Alistair kissed her deeply, pushing his tongue into her mouth and letting it duel in a dance for dominance with her own. His boldness coursed through him, reaching his hands and letting them glide over her back, all the way down to her bottom and back up again. He broke the kiss and let his head fall back as Bridget kissed his neck. Alistair blushed as he slipped his thumbs into the waistband of her leggings. Bridget pulled back slightly from him and smiled as she lifted her bottom slightly in order for him to pull them down a bit, which he did. Alistair then laid Bridget back against the soft blanket as he slowly pulled off her leggings. Once off, Alistair ran his hands up and down Bridget's shapely legs, causing her already heated skin to burn even more for his touch. Alistair pushed his own trousers down then and kicked them off once at his ankles. He kissed her madly as Bridget wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him as close as she could to her. Alistair could easily feel Bridget's heat now that her legs were around his waist again. Bridget roamed her hands over his back and her head fell back against the pillow as he gently kissed and sucked at her neck. When Bridget slowly rolled her hips towards him, Alistair knew he wouldn't be able to last much longer. Bridget loosened her grip around him long enough for Alistair to remove his smalls…as well as hers. Once he did, Alistair swallowed as he swept his gaze over Bridget who was now fully unclothed and laid beneath him. He was a lucky man to have met her, even more lucky to have fallen in love with her. The very fact that she existed proved to Alistair that there was indeed a Maker. She was everything he could ever hope for in a woman. Kind, funny, strong, Alistair couldn't list them all. He felt his face flush as his gaze lowered from her breasts down her stomach and to the soft curls of her womanhood that was waiting for him.

"Maker's breath you're beautiful." Alistair stated in a husky whisper.

The sound of his voice sent a shiver down Bridget's spine. Alistair dipped his head to her and kissed her slowly, finding her tongue and letting his own dance with it. After a moment he broke the kiss and positioned himself over her, propping up on his hands. The raw look of need on Alistair's face was enough to make Bridget melt beneath him. She slowly parted her legs as she felt Alistair drawing himself closer and closer to her heat. He paused just at her entrance and lowered his face to hers. He kissed her again softly before moving his lower half forward. Alistair released a deep, guttural moan as he pushed into her depths. He closed his eyes shut tight. The feeling of actually being inside her, of having her walls clamp around him…it was almost too pleasurable to bear. Bridget very slightly winced and adjusted herself beneath Alistair. His eyes flew open at her gasp. For a moment he thought he had done something wrong but once he saw her smile, Alistair took that as a sign to push further into her depths. He gazed into her eyes the entire time, and their gaze never broke. Soon enough Bridget was raking her nails down his back and moaning his name as Alistair moved and pushed himself further into his love, and back out again. His thrusts were slow and loving. Alistair lowered his head and kissed her tenderly, keeping his movements slow…although he was not sure exactly how long he would be able to keep that up. Once Bridget began to roll her hips towards him to meet with his thrusts…Alistair was sure he would lose himself. Bridget closed her eyes as Alistair continued his slow movements. She smiled against his lips when he kissed her, and she kissed him back, rather passionately. She gasped and moaned as

Alistair became more quick with his thrusts. Bridget ran her hands down his back and pushed down on his lower back, earning a moan from her fellow Warden. She felt the pressure building down low in her belly and knew that she was nearing her release. She continued to push up against him, to get as close to Alistair as she could. She wrapped her legs even tighter around his waist, taking him in even more. His thrust to meet her pulled Bridget over the metaphoric edge of ecstasy. She arched her back and let her head fall back as her release tore through her body. Bridget had never felt more complete than at this moment. Alistair trembled above her as his own release escaped him. He buried his face in her neck as he felt all of his built up pressure in his lower abdomen release and travel down his length and into his love. Together they remained in each other's hold, panting madly. Alistair caressed the side of Bridget's face and smiled at her. Bridget grinned back up at him as he rolled to the side and wrapped his arms around her. They both laid their in each other's arms trying to regain their breathing, their skin glistening in the glow of the candlelight. Bridget turned to Alistair and kissed him softly on his lips. After he regained his breath, Alistair blushed and smiled at the woman who had captured his heart. He rested his hand on her hip and slowly moved it up and down across her slick, soft flesh.

"You know, according to the sister's in the monastery, I should've been struck by lightning for that."

Bridget grinned and chuckled.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Alistair laughed and nodded.

"Yep, lightning first and then the end of civilization as we know it. Ooh I'm a bad, _bad_ man aren't I?"

Bridget chuckled and gazed into his eyes. She then climbed atop him and kissed him softly. When she pulled away, Bridget bent to his ear and whispered,

"And that was only our first try."

She then flicked his earlobe with her tongue and bit it playfully. Alistair chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rolled her back over to lay beside him and kissed his love sweetly…

After another round of ahem, "caboodling", they lay in each other's arms in the blissful afterglow of their love making. Alistair stroked Bridget's hair as she rested her head under his chin and against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Alistair chuckled.

"Think we'll be able to keep this from the others?" he asked.

Bridget lifted her head and looked at him, tipping it to the side.

"Why should we? I think everyone already knows that we're together." She replied.

Alistair shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure all of them will have to put their two cents in…"

Bridget laughed and brushed her nose up against his.

"Anybody says anything I don't like, I'll just throw them into a horde of Darkspawn. Problem solved."

Alistair chuckled and kissed her lightly.

"And this is why I love you." He stated as Bridget rested her head against his chest once again.

They were quiet for a few minutes before Alistair broke the silence and asked,

"We'll stay together…no matter what happens, right?"

Bridget lifted her head and looked at him.

"You don't have doubts, do you?" she asked.

Alistair shook his head.

"Of course not I just…"

Bridget placed her finger to his lips and raised an eyebrow.

"Must I show you how much I love you _again_?"

Alistair chuckled and rubbed his hands down her back and to her bottom.

"Well…you certainly won't hear any complaints from my end."

Bridget chuckled and kissed him deeply, fully prepared to show Alistair just how much she loved him once again.

**A/N: **And so it finally happened! Bridget and Alistair are together at last. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, this wasn't very easy to write and I'm so terrible with love scenes! Anyways, hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites! 


	27. Chapter 26: Brother Genitivi

Chapter 26

Brother Genitivi

Sunlight spilled into the small room from the nearby window, washing Bridget and Alistair's forms in its early morning glow. The bright light flooded through Bridget's closed eyes, urging her to wake from her deep slumber. She drew her brows together as she fought with her eyelids, wanting them to stay closed just a little longer. Bridget knew however she couldn't stay in the bed forever as they had plenty of things they needed to accomplish today, namely finding Brother Genitivi. With a deep sigh Bridget slowly opened her eyes to find herself facing the wall with the window. She squinted in the bright sunlight and rolled over on her side to find Alistair smiling and staring at her. Bridget smiled back at him.

"Morning." She said, her voice still thick with sleep.

Alistair caressed the side of her face and placed a kiss on the wing of her nose.

"I hope I get to wake up next to you every morning." He whispered.

Bridget smiled and kissed Alistair deeply. He caught her in his arms and rolled over her, burying his face in her neck where he nuzzled her skin. Bridget smiled and ran her fingers through his hair.

"We have to get up you know." She said sadly.

Alistair sighed and mumbled,

"Can't we just stay here and let the others find Genitivi…?"

Bridget chuckled.

"Ah, as much as I would _love_ to, we can't."

Alistair lifted his head and sighed.

"I suppose you're right. I'll go and get us some breakfast and bring it back up."

Bridget nodded and sighed happily as Alistair slid from the bed and pulled on his breeches and shirt before exiting the room. She gathered her own clothes and made her way to dress in the washroom, completely content. Alistair descended the staircase and stood at the counter to wait for the barman. Zevran sat at the other side of the bar and smirked at Alistair.

"What?" Alistair asked.

Zevran raised an eyebrow and took a swig of his ale.

"You know what you naughty, _naughty_ dog." The elf laughed before hurrying back up the stairs.

Alistair blushed but couldn't suppress his chuckle. After receiving the food from the barman, he trudged back up the stairs to find Bridget sitting on the bed and pulling her hair back into her usual bun. Alistair joined her on the bed and placed the tray in between them. Bridget began eating as she looked over some papers she had pulled from her pack.

"According to these papers that Isolde gave me, Brother Genitivi's house is directly in front of us!" she exclaimed.

Alistair grinned.

"Wonderful! My feet can rest a little easy today then." He said happily.

Bridget chuckled as she finished her breakfast and stood.

"If he's even there, that is."

She pulled her armor on and placed everything back in her pack. Alistair gathered his armor as well and soon they both stood ready to go. They headed downstairs where the others were already waiting for them; each of them seemed to be wearing a faint, knowing smile. Bridget ignored this and said,

"We're heading to Brother Genitivi's today. Who wants to come along?"

Zevran immediately stepped forward.

_Of course he would want to go, I can already tell he's got plenty of jokes lined up for me…great._ Alistair thought.

Wynne shook her head.

"Is it quite alright if I remain here?" she asked.

Bridget nodded.

"Of course, Wynne. Morrigan, do you want to come?"

She slowly nodded.

"Yes, I'd rather not be the one stuck with the dog." She stated.

Zeus whined sadly. Bridget petted him on his head as she looked at Leliana.

"Leliana, would you mind buying some more supplies for us?"

The bard nodded gleefully as Zeus trotted over to her and licked her hand. Bridget pulled up the hood of her cloak once more before stepping out into the chilly morning air. She walked directly across the dirt street and gently knocked on the door.

There was no reply.

Bridget raised an eyebrow and turned the handle, letting herself in. She saw a young man emerge from an adjacent room.

"Oh…h-hello there, I see you've let yourself in." he stated.

Bridget smiled sweetly.

"Are you Brother Genitivi?" she asked.

The man shook his head.

"Um no, I am his assistant, Weylon."

Bridget nodded.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Weylon. I'm Bridget."

Weylon nodded his head towards her and shifted his eyes to the rest of the party. Bridget cleared her throat and asked,

"Is Brother Genitivi here? I must speak with him."

Weylon sighed and looked at his feet.

"I have not seen the Brother in weeks. He has sent no word of where he is…it is most unlike him to have not contacted me."

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"What has happened to him?" she asked slowly.

Weylon shook his head.

"I do not know. He was researching the Urn of Sacred Ashes…and I am beginning to think that his very research has put him in danger. Why else would he not send word?"

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"Why would searching for the Urn put him in danger?"

Morrigan crossed her arms.

"This man was obviously chasing after a fairytale and has now most likely gotten himself killed because of it." She said coolly.

Alistair looked at her.

"Why couldn't you have just stayed at the inn?" he mumbled.

Bridget turned her attention back to Weylon who swallowed and rubbed his hands together.

"I-I tried to send help…some nights from Redcliffe even came looking for him too, and I sent them after him…but they have disappeared as well. I fear I have done something wrong…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"And how exactly do you know that they have disappeared as well?" she asked slowly.

"Well…they haven't returned, nor have they sent any word." Weylon replied.

Bridget crossed her arms and tipped her head to the side.

"Why would they send word to _you_?" she asked.

Weylon shifted his eyes and stammered,

"I-I don't know…after what happened to Genitivi, can you blame me for thinking the same fate befell the knights?"

Bridget sighed. She knew Genitivi wouldn't be here, she just knew it. Now once again she and the others would have to go on some wild nug chase to find this man.

"Where did the knights go, exactly?" she finally asked.

Weylon shook his head.

"Please don't ask me where they went, you'll go after them and the same thing will happen to you! This search is a curse on us all. Some things are left to be unfound…I know that now!" he exclaimed.

"I am willing to risk it, a man's life is at stake here…and so is the future of Fereldon. Tell me where they went." Bridget stated firmly.

Weylon sighed.

"So be it. Brother Genitivi said that he would be staying at an inn near Lake Calenhad, investigating something in that area."

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly was he investigating?"

Weylon shrugged.

"I do not know…all I discovered from going through his research was that he was staying at that inn…"

Bridget narrowed her eyes. Weylon just contradicted himself.

"I'm sorry, but didn't you just say that Genitivi spoke to you and told you that."

Weylon raised his eyebrows.

"Um well y-yes he did, but I also went through his things to see if I could find other clues to his whereabouts." He replied anxiously.

Bridget looked at him.

"You sound quite nervous…you wouldn't be hiding anything from me now…would you?" she asked.

Weylon's eyes widened.

"T-That's not true! I told you everything I know that Brother Genitivi told us-t-told me about the inn!"

Bridget shook her head.

"You need better practice…we all know you're lying." She said.

Weylon narrowed his eyes and took a step back.

"I tried to give you a chance to turn your cheek to this, to forget about Genitivi! Andraste forgive me for what I must do, I do this in your name!"

Weylon was quick, but he wasn't that quick. Morrigan cast a rather nasty swarm spell that prevented him from finishing his summoning and soon 'Weylon' laid in front of the fireplace, nothing but ashes. Bridget looked at the others.

"Let's search the place, there's bound to be something here."

They split up and searched for clues. Bridget found a locked door that Zevran made quick work out of and entered the room with her. Bridget nearly tripped over something in the floor…and that something turned out to be a dead body. She called Morrigan and Alistair over and Morrigan inspected the body.

"He has used magic to cover the smell. I suspect this man is the real 'Weylon'.

Zevran picked the lock to a nearby chest and pulled out it's contents.

"This book…I believe this is his research." He stated.

He handed it to Bridget who opened it and scanned the contents.

"Hmm…according to Genitivi's research, he's gone to the mountains to the west to…the village of Haven?"

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"I've never heard of that village." He stated.

Bridget shook her head.

"Neither have I. I guess we know where we're headed though. I hope he's there…"

Alistair frowned.

"Y-You don't think that you could've been right about the whole 'cultist' thing…do you?"

Bridget placed Genitivi's research in her pack and swung it over her shoulder.

"Sweetheart, nothing would surprise me anymore. Morrigan's mum could turn out to be some abomination that will eventually take over her body and I would be completely calm."

Morrigan cleared her throat.

"Actually…since you mentioned it…"

The others turned and looked at her.

"Please, please tell me you have finally discovered the art of how to crack a joke." Alistair pleaded.

Morrigan ignored him and set her eyes on Bridget.

"Do you remember you presented me with the Grimoire you found in the Circle Tower?"

Bridget nodded slowly, _really_ dreading where this conversation was going. Morrigan sighed and continued.

"Well…it turns out that Flemeth really does intend to take over my body. This is perhaps how she has lived for so long. Since we will be passing the Korcari Wilds on the way to this Haven…perhaps we could…kill her?"

Zevran's jaw dropped.

"You want us to kill your own mother? Even _I'm_ not that bad."

Bridget was quite sure Alistair and Zevran didn't notice the fear in Morrigan's eyes, or the way her voice wavered when she talked.

She was scared.

While Alistair and Zevran continued to talk about the situation, Bridget took Morrigan aside.

"Are you quite certain that this is what she intends to do?" she asked.

Morrigan nodded slowly.

"Yes, the Grimoire could not be any clearer. I can not be with you when you do slay her…for she may try to possess me at that very moment. If you do this for me Bridget…I-I will find a way to return my thanks. By doing this you are _saving_ my life."

Bridget sighed and nodded. Morrigan, though she was not the easiest person to converse with, was still a very valued member of the party and a sort of friend to Bridget. The thought of Flemeth trying to take over Morrigan's body was…rather disturbing. In fact, it sounded like Blood Magic.

"I will do this for you, Morrigan, if you are certain that there is no other way."

Morrigan nodded.

"There isn't. I-thank you." She said softly.

Bridget nodded. She looked back over at Alistair and Zevran who had stopped talking and were staring at them. Alistair's eyes widened.

"Why do you have that look in your eye…Maker, we're going to do it aren't we?"

Bridget nodded slowly before exiting the room. Zevran followed her and Morrigan was about to before Alistair grabbed her wrist. She sharply turned and looked at him.

"I don't know why she's deciding to help _you_, but if Bridget is killed because of this…you won't have to worry about Flemeth taking over your body. I'll kill you myself first."

With that he roughly released her wrist and followed Bridget and Zevran. Morrigan narrowed her eyes and followed him out, closing the door of Genitivi's house behind her.

A/N: _ I hope you all liked the chapter! The next should be interesting as the party meets up with Flemeth once again…until next time! :) P.S. What'd you guys thing of angry Alistair at the end? Sexy right? ;) _


	28. Chapter 27: Flemeth

Chapter 27

Flemeth

Bridget stepped outside Genitivi's home and took a deep breath. She began to question herself on whether or not it was a good thing to help Morrigan. Yes, they had seen Blood Magic before, but something told Bridget that Flemeth was going to be _much_ more powerful than Uldred. She scanned the crowds in the market place searching for Leliana. After a moment she spotted her with a basket full of bread and cheeses and Zeus playfully bouncing around her. Leliana spotted her and hurried towards her, smiling widely.

"I must say the food here is cheaper than what I thought it would be! Look at all the food I bought! There will be plenty to last us at least for a few weeks! Were you able to find the Brother?" she asked.

Bridget shook her head.

"No, he's in a village far in the west. We need to move as soon as possible, there is another pressing matter at hand."

Bridget led them back to the Gnawed Noble to collect Wynne who had been resting in her room. Once out of Denerim and back on the road, Bridget explained to everyone what was going on and what they were going to do. Wynne shuddered as she glanced at Morrigan.

"We in the Circle have heard many tales of…Flemeth. Her magic will be fierce and potent despite her age. Is it truly wise for us to do this?"

Morrigan looked at Wynne and said,

"By doing this Flemeth will cease to exist, meaning that she cannot bind her soul to another young vessel. She will die as will her magic."

Wynne said nothing in response but set her worried eyes to Bridget. Alistair sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"This isn't going to be easy…"

And so the journey back to the Korcari Wilds began. The weather only seemed to get worse, as did the hordes of Darkspawn that they came across. Upon reaching Lothering some days later, the entire village was destroyed. Bridget looked around and sighed. The ground was black with ash…the buildings that once occupied the small village were either completely gone or severely dilapidated, looking as if a single gust of wind would blow them away. The air was still and cold. All that remained of Lothering was death itself. They continued moving forward until it grew too dark to see. They set up camp at what Bridget guessed was the edge of the Wilds. Leliana cooked them all some soup and once it was finished, they all ate quietly. Bridget noticed that Morrigan kept to herself, only joining them to refill her bowl before leaving again and going off to her own tent. Alistair sighed as he stared into the soupy mixture and asked,

"Why can't all mages be like you, Wynne? So kind and caring…"

Wynne shook her head and replied.

"All of Thedas would be a much better place if there was no such thing as Blood Magic or Abominations."

Bridget nodded and looked up at all the others.

"Who wants to go with me tomorrow?"

Zevran raised his hand.

"I will always offer my services when you are in need, my friend." He stated.

Zeus wagged his tail and barked happily. Bridget turned to Alistair who smiled and asked,

"Did you even have to ask if I was going?"

Bridget chuckled and shook her head.

"I guess not."

Wynne stood.

"I will remain at camp. My healing powers will come of great use to you, I am quite sure. If I stay I can rest and be fully prepared to tend to anyone's wounds if need be."

With that she bid everyone a goodnight and went off to her tent. Bridget turned her attention back to the others only to find that both Leliana and Zevran had slipped away somewhere as well.

"They're even worse at hiding it than we are!" Alistair exclaimed.

Bridget chuckled and rested her head against his shoulder. Alistair looked at her and sighed.

"Why did you decide to help her?" he asked.

Bridget pulled back from him and looked into his eyes.

"You did not hear the fear in her voice when she told us about Flemeth's intentions. By doing this we are helping her a great deal, and by doing so I believe we will fully secure her as an ally. Plus, Morrigan may be able to help us in the future if we help her now."

Alistair shrugged.

"If you say so…you really do see the good in everyone, don't you?"

Bridget smiled.

"I certainly try, though there are some that are impossibly evil and have nothing good." She stated.

Alistair dropped his smile as he realized she was talking about Howe. He still could not grasp how that man could find it in him to betray his closest friend. Temptation for a higher power was a great thing, obviously in order for someone to do that. Bridget stood.

"I'm off to bed…you are welcome to join me in my tent, if you wish."

Alistair smiled up at her.

"Really? On the eve of an impending battle?"

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"Not for that, to keep me warm. I don't know about you, but I'm freezing."

Alistair grinned and chuckled.

"Then let me serve as your personal source of heat."

The group rose very early the next morning, the sun barely showing itself. They ate and dressed quickly, wanting to be done with this task as quickly as possible. Before they left, Morrigan approached Bridget and whispered,

"Once she is dead she will drop her key, in her hut there is a chest with her true Grimoire. Please return this to me as it carries all of her secrets. I do not want that information in the wrong hands."

Alistair raised an eyebrow as he overheard the conversation and thought that it _would_ be in the wrong hands if Morrigan got a hold of it, but kept his thoughts to himself. Once Zevran was ready, Bridget led them through the thick bramble of the Wilds and began her way towards Flemeth's hut. The Wilds were unusually quiet, and Bridget couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were upon her. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, much like they had the night Howe murdered her family. Another curious thing was that they encountered no Darkspawn in the Wilds. Soon enough after much apprehension, Flemeth's dilapidated hut appeared in the distance, and upon approaching the rotting structure, so did Flemeth. She cast her cold, knowing eyes on Bridget and the others and quirked a brow.

"Back again I see. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Bridget swallowed.

"We know what your intentions are, for Morrigan."

Flemeth threw her head back and cackled loudly.

"So you have found my secrets, as Morrigan has found someone so willing to dance to her tune. If it is the Grimoire you wish, take it. I will disappear from here."

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"Just like that?" she asked slowly.

Flemeth crossed her arms.

"Just like that." She repeated smoothly.

Bridget drew her brows together and thought long and hard for a moment. If she simply let Flemeth go…what would happen if she decided to ambush them one day and take Morrigan then? Although…if she did let her flee, she and the others would avoid a tough battle."

At long last Bridget made her decision by shaking her head.

"I can't do that. I can't betray Morrigan."

Flemeth's face grew dark.

"If that's what you wish. You put too much trust in others, girl." She spat.

Bridget withdrew her sword, but was thrown backward by the gust of wind that flew past her. When Bridget opened her eyes, a High Dragon stood instead of Flemeth.

"She can turn into a dragon?" Alistair shouted.

Of course she would turn into a dragon that was just their luck. Flemeth however was unlike the dragons they had faced before. Yes, those certainly paled in comparison to her. She was a fully grown dragon, which meant that she was fully powerful, her fire breath would scorch you in an instant, and every swing of her tail would hit you like a ton of bricks. Bridget stood and she and Alistair ran towards Flemeth whilst Zeus and Zevran tried to flank her at her sides. That tail of hers was bothersome, it had already nearly whacked Zevran who just jumped out of it's way in time. Flemeth blew fire out across them all, Bridget covered herself with her shield against the frightening heat. Zeus tried his best to nip at her large feet, jumping back when she raised one to kick him. They were getting in a few hits, which was good (and quite surprising). Alistair felt his stomach drop when Bridget was nearly caught in Flemeth's grasp. This was his mistake. Flemeth breathed fire towards Bridget and swooped her tail, slamming it into Alistair and thus knocking him back against the tree. Once Bridget removed her sword her blood chilled in her body. She screamed at the sight she saw before her and wanted the image out of her mind forever. Flemeth had Alistair pinned to the ground and was tearing at his armor with her sharp talons. Zevran ran for her and jumped into her back, burying his blades into her purple scaly skin. Once he drew Flemeth's attention away from Alistair, Bridget ran towards him and dropped to her knees. Alistair's splint-mail was not match for Flemeth's claws. There were deep scratches in his skin, spilling out his crimson blood. Everything going on around Bridget ceased. She heard nothing, saw nothing but Alistair…and she felt bile rise up in the back of her throat. She didn't even hear Flemeth's death cry or Zevran running back towards her. Bridget fought back her tears as she and Zevran lifted Alistair and hurriedly trudged through the Wilds and back to their friends. It was twilight before they made it out of the Wilds, and as soon as Bridget saw their camp in the distance, she screamed,

"Wynne! Help us!"

The old mage ran with great speed towards them and covered her mouth to suppress her gasp once she saw Alistair's form.

"Bring him to the fire, quickly now."

Leliana dropped her basket of berries once they set Alistair down by the fire and dropped to her knees in prayer.

"Maker preserve us all, save this man who so valiantly fought against the dark spirits of this world…"

Wynne asked her to fetch some water, which she did. Bridget helped Wynne remove Alistair's armor (or what remained of it) with shaky hands. Leliana returned with the water and Wynne and Bridget began to wash the blood from Alistair's skin. Wynne placed her hands on his chest and closed her eyes. Bridget watched as her hands erupted in a blue glow.

"Did you get the book, the Grimoire?"

Bridget narrowed her eyes and slowly stood. She did not want to look at Morrigan for fear of what she may do to her. She clenched her fists together and replied in a tight voice,

"No."

Morrigan crossed her arms.

"Why?" she demanded.

This was not the most logical thing to say. Bridget whipped around and stared at the apostate, fury blazing in her eyes and present in her voice.

"_Why_? I'll tell you why! That abomination almost killed Alistair! Did you really think we were going to waste any second we had with searching that damned hut for some fucking book!"

Morrigan's eyes widened, as did the others. No one had seen Bridget this furious before…and it was not a pretty sight.

"If you want that damned book so bad go and get it yourself! I almost lost a friend to this shit, and I am not about to leave his side!" she shouted.

With that Bridget turned back around and sat back next to Alistair, stroking his hair and holding his hand. Wynne continued to heal his wounds, and Zevran and Leliana watched as Morrigan disappeared into the Wilds. Zevran winced and removed his hand from his side. Leliana's eyes widened.

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed.

Zevran shook his head.

"Ah, is but a new scratch to the many already covering my body. I could use a bandage though."

Leliana retrieved some from her pack and followed Zevran to the other side of the fire. She helped him remove his armor and gently pressed the cool, wet cloth to the gash in his side.

"How was Alistair wounded so?" she asked softly.

Zevran shook his head.

"I don't know…it all happened so fast. I do know one thing though. If he doesn't make it through this…I don't think Morrigan would have had to worry about Flemeth taking over her body. Bridget will probably kill her."

Leliana gently wrapped the bandage around Zevran's chest and shoulder, pinning it together once an appropriate layer was laid on. Leliana replaced her bandages in her pack but stopped suddenly when she felt Zevran's hand on her shoulder. She turned around to look at him and brushed back some of his hair.

"Thank you, for bandaging me, my dear." He whispered.

Leliana smiled.

"You're welcome, Zevran." She replied.

She hugged him then and they remained in each others embrace for some time.

Bridget wiped the grime and blood away from Alistair's face as Wynne had finally finished healing his internal injuries. Now she was working on closing the wounds, and Bridget found that the sound of flesh being sealed back together was a most unpleasant one. A knot grew in Bridget's stomach. Alistair still had not come to yet, and she was beginning to get worried. Wynne sighed as she removed her hands from his chest.

"That is all I can do for now. We should stay at camp for a few days and let him recover. I expect he will wake either later tonight or sometime tomorrow."

Bridget stood and embraced the aging mage in a strong hug.

"Thank you for everything, Wynne." She whispered.

Wynne nodded.

"You are welcome." She replied wearily.

She slowly slipped away to her tent and left Bridget and Alistair alone as Leliana and Zevran had retired for the night. Bridget sat down next to him and held his hand in hers, lacing their fingers. He would be scarred because of this, those scratches permanently etched into his skin. Bridget laid down next to him and pressed her lips to his cheek. She hadn't bothered to remove her armor, nor had she bothered to wash the dirt and blood from her skin. Exhaustion consumed Bridget's body. She rested her head against Alistair's shoulder and was able to say a final prayer to the Maker before falling into a deep sleep.

A/N: _So there you have it. Angry Bridget is kind of scary…this is a lesson to us all, let's not mess with her man ;) I had a really tough time with the fight scene, but my awesome friend swooped in and gave me some pointers. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! _


	29. Chapter 28: Alistair's Awakening

Chapter 28

Alistair's Awakening

Bridget had no idea how she managed to stay asleep with all of the terrible nightmares that plagued her mind that night. Instead of seeing the Arch Demon or Howe, Bridget witnessed Alistair being thrown up against that tree and seeing that blasted dragon shredding his flesh with her talons. These by far were the worst dreams she had ever had. Bridget loved Alistair…and the thought of losing him was too much to bear. He represented everything that was good in the world, he was kind to her not because he _had _to be, but because he wanted to be. Alistair had given himself, his heart to Bridget, and she had done the very same to him. Not having him by her side was almost impossible to imagine. When she had awakened, Alistair still remained still. Wynne had set about to healing him again, advising Bridget to take some time to herself and get herself cleaned up. Bridget tiredly trudged through bushes and moved tree branches out of her way before she came across a small lake. She sat on her knees in front of the water and dipped her hands into the cool liquid. Bridget splashed water on her face, mostly in an effort to help wake herself up. She stood and removed her armor, stepping into the water and letting it envelop her body.

Alistair grimaced and slowly opened his eyes to find Wynne hovering over him, her face contorted in concentration. His vision was a bit blurry at first so he blinked a few times before his eyes finally became focused. Alistair furrowed his brow.

"W-Wynne?" he asked in a dry voice.

Wynne's eyes flew open and she smiled at him.

"Oh thank the Maker you're alright. I was beginning to doubt that you would recover." She stated.

Alistair slowly propped himself up on his elbows.

"W-What happened to me? I feel like I've been whacked by a dragon's tail." He said.

Wynne cleared her throat.

"Well…that's certainly part of it." She replied.

Alistair's eyes widened as his memory from the previous day flooded back to him. He remembered seeing Flemeth turn on Bridget with a great wave of fire…and Bridget trying to hold her shield in front of her to cover it. Alistair glanced around camp. Bridget wasn't anywhere to be seen. Her shield was covered in scorch marks…and then there was a pile of ashes lying next to it…

"NO!"

Alistair crawled over to Bridget's shield and the pile of ash that was next to it.

"H-How could this happen?" he asked slowly as he cupped the ash in his hands and let the dust run through his fingers.

Leliana and Zevran both looked at each other, then back at Alistair.

"Err…Alistair, that's not,"

Alistair's lip quivered as he felt tears fill his eyes.

"This isn't possible, she can't have died! She never gets hurt, OW!"

Alistair whipped back around behind him to see Leliana standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Pull yourself together! Of course she's not dead; she's gone off for a bath."

Zevran grinned and stood.

"I can go and find her if you wish, surely you are in no fit state to, hey where are you going?"

Before Zevran could finish his sentence, Alistair had already limped past him, intent on seeking out Bridget. Zevran sighed.

"Am I to be denied all fun? He left before I could even finish!"

Bridget swam back to the surface of the water and pushed her hair back and away from her face. She was glad she listened to Wynne's suggestion, as the water did help her feel just a bit better. Bridget took a moment to take in her surroundings. Large trees shaded the lake and through the parts of where the leaves separated, the early morning rays of sunlight burst through and shimmered against the lake. Suddenly her vision vanished as a pair of hands covered her eyes. Before Bridget could say anything, she felt breath against her ear as the person whispered,

"Guess who didn't get killed by the crazy dragon lady!"

Bridget whipped around to stare up into Alistair's eyes that gleamed with laugher. She grinned widely and pulled Alistair into a heated kiss. Bridget moved her mouth against his slowly, savoring the moment. Alistair pushed his hands through her hair and down her back. It was now when he questioned himself as to why he hadn't taken off his breeches before slipping into the water. Bridget broke the kiss and stared into Alistair's eyes. She caressed the side of his face and whispered,

"Praise the Maker…I thought I had lost you."

Alistair smiled and tucked her damp hair behind her ears.

"Nothing will keep us apart." He whispered as he cupped her face.

Alistair dipped his head to hers and claimed her mouth, taking her bottom lip between his teeth and sucking on it. Bridget closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Alistair's neck. He kissed her slowly, tenderly running his hands down her back and back up again. Bridget broke the kiss and smiled at her love. She dropped her gaze to his chest and tentatively traced the scratches that were now forever etched into his skin. Alistair smiled down at her.

"You know, I think they're kind of cool. After all, who doesn't love a scarred, muscular man, am I right?"

Bridget grinned and hugged him tightly, pressing her ear up against his chest and listening to the steady beat of his heart. Alistair stroked her hair and chuckled.

"You know, when I woke up…I thought you were a pile of ash sitting next to your shield." He stated.

Bridget rested her chin against his chest.

"I won't be beaten so easily." She laughed.

Alistair nodded.

"Don't I know it." He replied before kissing her again.

Bridget tipped her head to the side to deepen the kiss, all the while stepping backwards in the water until her back rested up against the smooth surface of a large rock. Alistair tore away from his love and stared into her eyes. Her face was slightly flushed, and her lips were full, waiting to greet his once more. Because of the cold weather, her skin was like gooseflesh, as was his. Alistair moved his hands down her body, closing his eyes at the feel of her skin against his hands. He would never tire of that baby soft skin of hers, he knew it. Alistair rested his hands at her hips and lifted her slightly. Bridget wrapped her legs around his waist and raised an eyebrow.

"You sure you feel up to it?"

Alistair pulled away from her and rubbed his nose against hers.

"You're joking, right?" he asked.

Bridget giggled.

"Well I just don't want you to exert yourself too soon after your recovery."

Alistair frowned slightly. Despite how much he did want Bridget, he was still in a little pain. Perhaps it would be best if they waited. Alistair sighed, kissed her once more, and then lowered her back into the water. They both turned at the sound of Zeus barking. He trotted up to the water's edge and wagged his tail, carrying a piece of parchment in his mouth. Bridget waded through the water towards him and took the parchment from him. She unraveled it and began to read, chuckling and shaking her head.

"What's it say?" Alistair asked curiously.

Bridget looked up at him and cleared her throat. She handed him the document and got out of the water, grabbing her towel and drying off. Alistair furrowed his brow at the parchment before his face was engulfed in a flame of embarrassment. It read:

_Now you two don't do anything naughty! Alistair (I am told) needs time to recover! I would have come myself to tell you this, but Leliana feared that the temptation to join you two in your little…err; rendezvous would be too great so I had Zeus bring you this letter instead. Don't worry Alistair, whenever I was injured, I just needed a day's rest before I…exerted myself in any way with a lover. All will be well by tomorrow and you may then ravish Bridget in her tent at night as I'm sure you were planning to anyway. For now though, get back to camp!_

_Your friend,_

_Zevran_

Alistair crumpled up the piece of parchment and looked at Zeus.

"I can't believe he made you deliver this. You're supposed to be on my side!"

Zeus gave him a look that said _"You didn't give me any mabari crunch, so there,"_ and then trotted back off towards camp. Alistair got out of the water and redressed after drying up and followed Bridget back to the camp. Upon returning, Bridget noticed Morrigan in the distance and decided now was a good time to apologize, after all, she hadn't meant to shout at her. Bridget approached the apostate's makeshift shelter and found Morrigan sitting on a log, reading over the Grimoire. She nodded her head to acknowledge Bridget's presence and stood. Bridget cleared her throat.

"Morrigan, I-I wanted to apologize for shouting at you last night. I was just upset and afraid that Alistair wasn't going to make it. I'm sorry."

Morrigan looked at her and shrugged.

"There was no need to apologize, I could tell that you were upset. Honestly, I don't know how you have managed to care so deeply for him. He must perform exceptionally well in bed for I can not see how you stand constant conversation with him."

Bridget chuckled and crossed her arms.

"Oh you have no idea." She replied.

Morrigan laughed softly and then became serious again.

"I will stand by what I said. I shall repay you for what you have done for me."

Bridget nodded and walked back towards the others. She sat next to Alistair and poured herself a bowl of the soup Leliana made. Wynne emerged from her tent and stated,

"One more day of rest should be sufficient. After tomorrow I believe Alistair will be back to his normal self and can travel again. Where will we be going?"

Bridget swallowed the water from the flask Leliana offered her and said,

"Haven Village, it's in the mountains. That's where Brother Genitivi is…hopefully." She stated.

Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"This should be interesting." He said.

Leliana nodded excitedly.

"If this man really has found the Urn, he will bring hope to so many. I hope he has been successful!" she exclaimed.

Bridget and Alistair nodded.

"Wouldn't it be nice if when we got there Genitivi proudly presents us with the Urn and let's us take a pinch of the ashes? Oh that would be wonderful…" Alistair stated.

Bridget giggled.

"If there's one thing I've learned so far on this journey it's this: You can't get what you need unless you do something tremendous first."

Bridget's theory was quite right, although what they found in Haven would prove to be the most difficult task yet.

A/N: _Okay, we'll be getting back to the main plot next chapter, I promise! Some pretty interesting stuff happens in the next couple of chapters! I think I can safely say I'm about halfway through the fan fic! Lots more to go though, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)_


	30. Chapter 29: Haven

Chapter 29

Haven

Just as Wynne had predicted, Alistair was back to his normal self the following morning and they were able to pull up camp and move on. Luckily for everyone's sake, the weather was not too harsh. Although the sky looked as if it would burst and drop rail or snow or a mixture of the two on them at any moment, the clouds did nothing but occupy the sky and block out the sun. They ran into some more Darkspawn along the way, and at one point they had to backtrack their steps as Bridget accidentally made a wrong turn. After a few hours of traveling, Bridget finally noticed the path leading up into the mountains, or into Haven rather. She looked at the others apprehensively. A fog covered the ground eerily, and the grass was dead and cold. Slowly they climbed up the path, only the sound of their breathing was heard. Once they reached the top of the path, Bridget noticed the entrance to the village, and a guard standing there. Odd…why would they need a guard? This village was fairly hidden as it was high up in the mountain pass, and the path leading up to it was easy to miss. An unsettling feeling crept it's way into Bridget's stomach as she approached the guard. His skin was deathly pale…and his expression was stony. He narrowed his eyes at her. Bridget cleared her throat as she approached him.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" she asked softly.

The guard looked at her.

"What do you want?"

Bridget licked her lips.

"I was actually wondering if I may explore Haven a little."

The guard shook his head.

"We do not appreciate foreigners traipsing about our quiet village." He spat.

Bridget sighed.

"Okay, since I can't look around then, can you tell me a little about this village?"

The guard looked at her suspiciously and crossed his arms.

"Ask your damned questions and be on your way then." He stated.

Bridget looked past him at the dismal village and asked,

"How long has Haven been here, exactly? I have never heard of it."

The guard sighed and replied,

"Haven's always been here, we just keep to ourselves."

Bridget slightly narrowed her eyes.

"I see…who is in charge of this village then?"

The guard replied,

"Father Eirik is our spiritual leader and guide."

Leliana raised her eyebrows.

"A Revered Father? I have never heard of this."

He sighed and stated,

"It has always been that way in Haven. We do not question tradition."

Bridget looked at him.

"Are your traditions very different from ours then?" she asked.

The guard cut his eyes at her and said,

"_Our_ ways are not the ways of the lowland cities."

Bridget nodded slowly.

"Interesting…"

The guard shook his head and said,

"You may trade at the shop if you wish, but then I suggest you and your…questionable companions leave."

Zevran looked taken aback.

"_Surely_ you are not referring to me now, are you?"

The guard ignored him and brushed them off. Bridget walked past the guard and led the others into the village. She looked around and furrowed her brow until Alistair nudged her.

"There's a child over there, maybe he can tell us something."

Bridget spotted the boy Alistair spoke of and approached him slowly. He was chanting a rather odd…poem and had a distant look in his eye.

"Err, excuse me, little boy?"

The child stopped mid-sentence in his poem and looked up at her.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Bridget tipped her head to the side.

"Who are _you_?"

The boy crossed his arms.

"I asked you first." He quipped.

Bridget looked at him. She wasn't about to tell this child her name, so she went with the next best thing.

"I'm a Grey Warden. Know what that is?"

The boy shook his head.

"No, and I don't care to either. We don't associate with lowlanders."

Bridget frowned.

"Okay…"

She thought it odd that the boy seemed to have no interest at all in the fact that she was a Grey Warden. Usually children from Fereldon grow up on the tales of the Warden's bravery and skill. This here was just another unsettling fact to add to her list of curiosity about this village.

"What, why are you looking at me like that?" the boy asked her.

Bridget knelt down in front of him and said,

"Come now, I bet you're clever. Can you tell me anything about Haven?"

The boy shrugged.

"Haven is Haven. But I have a secret; do you want to see it?"

Bridget nodded.

"Why not?" she asked.

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bone of a _finger_. The bone looked as if it had been polished as it was a exceptionally bright white color. Bridget stood.

"Where did you get that?" she asked slowly.

The boy replaced the bone and said,

"Over by the mountain. It's a secret, so don't tell anyone okay?"

He then walked away from them, chanting that strange poem again. Alistair cleared his throat.

"Well, that wasn't creepy at all."

Bridget nodded and looked at them.

"Something's going on here…let's go to the shop and see if we can find anything else out."

The others nodded and Bridget led them up a small hill towards the upper part of the city. After asking another village where the shop was located, they told her where to go after pointing out that she didn't look like she was from Haven. Bridget stopped outside the shop and looked at the others.

"Okay, Alistair come in the shop with me. Zevran, since you and Leliana are experts at sneaking about, check the back of the shop, look through the windows and see if you see anything. We'll meet back in front of the shop in about five or ten minutes."

Zevran nodded.

"Sounds like a plan!" he said as he grabbed Leliana's hand.

Bridget and Alistair entered the shop to find the shop keep standing behind the counter. He looked at them curiously.

"Hmm, you don't look like you're from Haven." He noted.

Bridget sighed.

"Why does everybody tell me that like I don't already know it?" she asked.

The shop keep shook his head and replied,

"I'm sorry, we just don't have many visitors. Did you want to trade?"

Bridget nodded. The man laid out his wares on the counter and Bridget pretended to look over them. Alistair happened to glance up and out the nearby window to see Zevran signaling for them outside. He placed his hand on Bridget's shoulder and said,

"Perhaps we can come back later."

Bridget looked at him and knew that something was wrong by the look on his face. She bid farewell to the shop keep and walked out of the shop with Alistair where Leliana and Zevran stood in the shadows waiting for them.

"What did you find?" Bridget whispered.

Leliana swallowed.

"We saw a body laying in the back room…"

Zevran nodded.

"His armor appeared to be from Redcliffe."

Bridget's eyes widened. She followed Zevran and Leliana towards the back of the shop to look into the window.

"Maker…that man was sent here by the fake Weylon!" she hissed.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

Bridget and the others turned to see the shop keep staring at them. Before he even had a chance to raise his blade, Zevran had snuck up behind him and slit his throat.

"We need to get to the Chantry." Bridget stated.

They were attacked by more villagers along the way and when they finally barged into the Chantry, they found who Bridget guessed was Father Eirik preaching about something that Bridget cared not to know. She pushed her way through the crowd until she stood in front of him. She noticed the staff strapped to his back and narrowed her eyes.

He was an apostate.

"Well, I had heard that we had a guest in our village. Tell me, how are you enjoying Haven so far?"

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"Please, cut the welcoming bullshit and tell me what's going on. I saw the knight's bodies, you can't deny that."

Eirik crossed his arms.

"This, my brothers is what happens when you let an outsider, a _lowlander_ into the village. They have no respect for our privacy."

Bridget narrowed her eyes, her fingers itching to grab her blade.

"You would bring war to Haven with your ignorance, no doubt." He spat.

Alistair took a step forward and asked,

"What have you done with Brother Genitivi?"

Eirik looked at him and replied in a drone like voice,

"We do not owe you any type of explanation for our actions. We have a duty to protect Her. All our sins will be forgiven."

Bridget drew her blade just as fast as Eirik cast a spell. She dodged the fire ball he shot at her and went to aid Leliana. Zevran evaded a freezing spell and provided the distraction Alistair needed. He was able to bash Eirik with his shield. Once he was down, Zevran sunk his blade into his chest. Soon enough, all the other cultists were killed and Bridget and the others stood amongst the bodies. Alistair put his blade back in it's sheath and shook his head.

"Your skills of prediction scare me." He chuckled.

Bridget sighed and smiled before glancing around the room. She noticed a very poorly concealed secret passageway and shook her head.

"You'd think they would've done a better job than _this_." She stated.

Alistair pushed on the door and immediately it moved out of their way, revealing a frail man lying on the floor amongst scattered papers and books. Bridget rushed over to him.

"Please don't be dead!" she exclaimed.

She knelt next to him and touched the side of his face. His skin was cold…but wait he was stirring! Bridget let out a sigh of relief.

"W-Who are you, oh they've sent you to finish it, haven't they? Please, make it quick…"

Bridget shook her head.

"My name is Bridget, and I am here to help you."

She helped the man sit up slightly before he winced in pain.

"You have no idea how refreshing it is to see someone not from this village." He stated.

Bridget smiled.

"Oh no, I clearly know what you mean."

He winced and grabbed his leg.

"Ugh…my leg is not doing well…and I can no longer feel my foot."

Bridget reached into her pack and pulled out some bandages.

"I have these, they might help. You will need to rest though." She stated.

The man shook his head.

"No, not now…I'm so close, the Urn is just up that mountain."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"You must be Brother Genitivi then! I _need_ to find those ashes, Arl Eamon grows sicker as the days pass on…the Urn is his only hope." She said.

Genitivi's eyes widened.

"He is sick? Will he live?"

Bridget sighed.

"He was poisoned under Loghain's orders." She stated.

Genitivi bowed his head.

"The Arl…he is a good man of a noble soul and heart. Surely the Ashes will save him."

Bridget nodded as Genitivi continued.

"There is an old, old temple within the mountain; it was built to protect the Urn. The temple though…it is always locked, however Eirik wears a medallion. That medallion is the key."

Zevran dipped his hand into his pocked and withdrew a golden necklace with an intricate charm dangling from it.

"Is this it? I nicked it from him after I killed him."

Genitivi nodded.

"That is the very one. If you take me to the mountainside, I will show you."

Bridget looked at him.

"Are you sure you can make the journey?" she asked.

Genitivi nodded.

"I'm not going to let a bum leg stop me from this. If someone gave me their shoulder to help me though, that would be most helpful."

Bridget grinned and helped the Brother stand.

"You may use my shoulder then, good man."

Genitivi nodded.

"Thank you. Come now, before more of those deranged villagers show up."

And so with Genitivi's guidance, Bridget and the others arrived at the Ruined Temple that was carved into the mountain. Bridget placed the medallion in the slot and turned it counterclockwise as Genitivi stated. The great doors soon opened and they slowly entered the Temple.

A/N: _Yay! Brother Genitivi's okay! Next chapter Bridget and the others begin to explore the bowels of the temple, coming across some very interesting things. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! :)_


	31. Chapter 30: The Ruined Temple

Chapter 30

The Ruined Temple

The large wooden doors opened and Bridget assisted Genitivi into walking inside the temple. A rush of cold air flew past Bridget, removing the hood of her cloak. Bridget shivered. If it was possible, the temperature inside the temple was lower than that of the outside air itself. Alistair, Leliana, and Zevran piled in behind her, closing the great door behind them. Bridget turned to Genitivi to ask him where he thought the Urn might be, but closed her mouth and smiled warmly. Genitivi had tears in his eyes as he looked around in awe. He limped over to a nearby rock, engraved in an ancient language and ran his hand over its surface. Bridget glanced around the main hall of the temple as well. All though they had to keep their guard up, as there were plenty of cultists around, Bridget couldn't help but find herself in a beautiful surrounding. Snow blanketed the hard stone floor and here and there stalagmites grew, each glittering in the distant firelight. The temple held an air of mystery…among other things. Genitivi slowly walked back up to her and smiled.

"It's beautiful…isn't it?" he asked.

Bridget nodded. Genitivi looked back at the rock again and said,

"Do you mind if I stay here? I will be of no use to you anyhow with this leg, and I would love to take some notes."

Bridget smiled.

"Of course, Genitivi. Do you know what we may expect once we begin to explore?"

A grim look replaced the one of glee Genitivi wore before and he sighed.

"Traps. Lot's of them, too. It is good that you have two well trained rogues with you; I expect these traps to be nasty ones, so watch yourself. Also, I'm sure the majority of the cultists from the village are here so be mindful of them as well."

Bridget nodded.

"Traps and crazy cultists people, got it."

She turned to leave before Genitivi placed a hand on her arm. Bridget turned and looked back at him and saw traces of fear swimming in his eyes.

"I do not know if this is true or not…but I thought I overheard Erik speak of dragons…keep your guard up, and good luck."

Bridget cringed at the thought of more dragons and thought back to the horrible beast that Flemeth turned into. Bridget knew that the Arch Demon would be ten times worse than Flemeth, or any other High Dragon for that matter, so she figured she may as well get some dragon slaying skills in the process. Bridget thanked Genitivi and turned to the others. She nodded to them and led them into the center of the temple, by the large bonfire. They stood next to it for a few minutes as Bridget thought over their options.

"Where should we go first?" she asked.

Alistair looked around.

"Well, there's an entry way on either side of us, and then there's the stairs leading up to another level. I vote stairs!"

Zevran looked at him.

"Why stairs first?" he asked.

Alistair shrugged.

"I heard an old saying that if you want to get something, you have to climb up before you can reach it."

Zevran drew his brows together.

"That makes absolutely no sense; you do realize this…don't you?"

Alistair sighed.

"Oh fine, let's just move on."

Despite Alistair's statement not making any sense, Bridget opted to head for the staircase. They were immediately ambushed by a few archers and a mage. The mage was fairly tough to kill, and Leliana nearly took an arrow between her eyes. Thankfully she ducked in time and Zevran made quick work of the man who attempted to kill her. Soon enough the battle was one and they were all covered in blood.

"You know, if there's a dragon here…it can probably smell us already." Alistair noted.

Bridget sighed.

"Don't remind me." She replied.

She walked over to the southeastern passageway and pushed open the door, only to be immediately thrown backwards as a Bronto came out of nowhere. Alistair rushed over to quickly help her up and after rejoining the battle, helped Leliana and Zevran take down some more cultists that appeared. Bridget cursed the mages as they were extremely tough to kill. One had completely paralyzed Alistair with a Glyph of Paralysis. Bridget hit him with her shield four different times before he finally could take no more and died. Alistair was released and shook his head. At last all the enemies were dealt with and they could search the room for treasure. Leliana picked the lock of a nearby chest and Bridget withdrew an elaborate looking key.

"This must open up a door somewhere back in the main hall, maybe down one of those other passageways." She stated.

Bridget pocketed the key and led the others out of the room and back into the main entrance. They were once again ambushed (if you could call it that, these cultists were getting rather predictable) and were dealt with quickly. Bridget pulled an arrow out of her shoulder; thankfully her armor had caught it, and snapped it in two.

"Damn, I'm really getting sick of archers."

Everyone else agreed. Bridget chose the southeastern passageway, and for once got lucky as that was the room hiding the locked door that the key went to. Bridget placed the key in and turned it, cracking the door slightly. She peaked inside to see more cultists, however, these looked unarmed and were chatting about something.

"What are they whispering about?" Alistair asked softly.

Bridget furrowed her brow. She distinctively heard 'Andraste' several times. By placing the broken sentences together, Bridget deduced that they were speaking about Her…but it was the way they were speaking about the Prophet that made her stomach turn. She turned to the others and whispered,

"They're talking about Andraste…but the way they speak of her…it's like she's a_live_."

Leliana's eyes widened.

"That isn't possible though…Andraste is with the Maker now…"

Bridget looked at Alistair to see a worried expression on his face.

"What is it, love?" she asked softly.

Alistair looked at her and the others and said,

"You don't think that dragon Genitivi mention has something to do with this…do you?"

Zevran raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Alistair shrugged.

"I don't know…maybe they think the dragon is _Andraste_ or something…"

Before Bridget could respond, the cultists' discovered them and grabbed their weapons. Bridget and the others ran into the room and were able to dispose of the cultists before any of them had reached their weapons. Zevran found another key as he searched through the nearby chest and brought it to Bridget, who was frowning at a large book set on the table.

"What is that?" Zevran asked.

Bridget took a deep breath and turned to look at the others.

"It's a tome…all about dragon's blood." She stated grimly.

Alistair rubbed the back of his neck.

"Something tells me that's not good…" he replied.

They returned to the main hall and climbed the stairs once more. Bridget placed the key in the middle door and turned it. She smiled as she heard the distinctive _click_ and slowly opened the door. The group stepped into another large room with more stairs, but had no time to look around as a mage attacked them. Zevran quickly snuck up behind him and slit his throat. Almost immediately after he did so, a large Ash Wraith appeared in the middle of the room. Bridget cursed herself now for not bringing along either Wynne or Morrigan, as these demons were partially immune to physical attacks. It took a lot of hits before he finally went down and didn't reappear somewhere else. Bridget wiped her forearm against her forehead and sighed. She and the others slowly climbed the stairs, no body dared to sheath their weapons just yet, and soon they came across another door.

"Maker's breath…" Leliana whispered.

They entered a large circular room that had a large, elaborate statue of a woman in its center. The statue had her hands cupped out in front of her as if she had just given something to someone.

"Is that supposed to be Andraste?" Alistair asked slowly.

Bridget and the others approached the statue but unfortunately didn't get to admire its features as another Ash Wraith appeared. This one, Bridget guessed was a higher ranking in its hierarchy because it was even harder to kill than the previous one. Now that the Wraith was dealt with, Bridget noticed Leliana went back to examine the statue. The ceiling was cracked and spilled sunlight onto the statue's form…making it seem even more sacred. Alistair crossed his arms and stood next to Bridget.

"You know, I've always wondered how people sculpt Andraste. I mean, how would they know what she looked like? She could've looked like Zeus for all we know!"

Bridget chuckled and playfully hit him in the arm.

"You might want to watch what you say; we still don't know what's ahead of us."

She turned and led the others up some more stairs and towards another door. Bridget was right, they didn't know what lay ahead in the mysterious temple…but what they discovered was more shocking than any of them were expecting.

A/N: _This chapter is short, I apologize! This was all I had time to come up with though. I've been slammed with schoolwork this week, and the terrible plague known as writer's block has taken me! :( Hopefully next week I will be back to my normal updating schedule and can write you guys a much longer chapter. I apologize if this chapter sucks in any way…writer's block is a terrible, terrible thing. Anyways, hopefully the next chapter will be coming shortly. Thanks for your continued support!_


	32. Chapter 31: The Wyrming Lair

Chapter 31

The Wyrming Lair

Bridget looked around and drew her brows together. Apparently, they were no longer in the temple…but instead a cave of some sort. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a chill traversed her spine. She wasn't sure if she imagined it or not…but Bridget thought she heard something…_breathing._ The others heard this too, as they all carried worried looks across their faces. Bridget gripped the handle of her sword tighter as she slowly led her friends deeper into the mysterious cave. An awful smell filled her nostrils, making her almost gag.

"W-What is that awful smell?" Leliana asked.

_Squish._

Bridget and the others turned to look where the sound came from to find that Alistair had unfortunately stepped into a large pile of…well, poo.

"Aw come on!" he exclaimed as he slowly removed his foot from the gross mess.

Zevran swallowed.

"I really hate to point this out, but this dropping looks rather…fresh."

Alistair raked his foot against the floor of the cavern, mumbling and shaking his head.

"Why's it always me?" He asked Bridget as he finally removed the majority of it from his foot.

She shrugged, biting on her lip to not chuckle at his predicament and urged the others onward. So far, they had not run into any cultists, although Bridget would take cultists over a dragon any day. They stumbled into a nearby opening in the wall and discovered a room filled with cages. Some housed large pigs while others were a home to some goats.

"Dear Maker…these poor animals are being fed to…" Leliana began.

Alistair shook his head.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now! Maybe…Maybe the cultists keep them here to eat them themselves!"

That was when Bridget heard a deep, rumbling growl from a shaded corner of the room. She and the others turned to see gleaming, yellow, snakelike eyes stare back at them…eyes that looked displeased, nonetheless. The dragon emerged from the corner, licking it's bloody lips and baring it's razor sharp teeth. Thankfully this dragon was not fully grown and was only a Drake…but still, he was a dragon no less. Bridget dodged a breath of fire as Alistair bashed his shield into the dragon's side. Zevran and Leliana stayed at a distance, trying to determine when to catch the beast off guard and take it by surprise. Alistair slashed at it's side as Leliana finally found an opening and shot a poisoned dipped arrow towards him. The arrow flew through the air and pierced the side of the Drake's head. The monster, due to the effects of the poison, became woozy and clumsy on his feet. Bridget ran her blade through him and ripped it through his flesh. The Drake fell over, dead. Bridget took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Leliana grinned as she climbed down from her vantage point, with Zevran's help.

"You're a deadly little vixen with those arrows, _mi amour_." He purred.

She giggled and Bridget couldn't help but smile. She cast a glance at Alistair to see him smiling at her and cleared her throat to bring attention back to the matter at hand.

"Let's keep moving you two love birds." Alistair stated in an effort to help Bridget.

Zevran dropped his hands from Leliana's hips and raised an eyebrow.

"As if you are one to call anyone a love bird! Next time we book rooms in a tavern, remind me to get one far away from you and our leader here so I may catch my sleep peacefully."

Alistair's jaw dropped as Zevran merrily pounced back in his usual place behind Bridget with Leliana at his side. Bridget chuckled under her breath and led them back out through the passageway and down the dark depths of the cavern once more. Upon entering another passageway, they were ambushed by a mage and a few archers. Leliana rained arrows down on the mage while everyone else took care of the archers. Once they were dead, Bridget looked around the spacious area and felt her stomach knot. There were _eggs_ scattered about the room, some were sitting atop tables while others were nestled in hay on the floor. She shook her head.

"Dear Maker they're _breeding_ these things!" she exclaimed.

The others looked at one another and shifted uncomfortably. Bridget turned back to them and sighed.

"Let's move on and find the Urn as quick as we can." She stated.

Nobody hesitated as Bridget led them out of the 'hatchery'. What exactly were these people planning with all of those dragon eggs? Did they intend to…_unleash_ them? Alistair shuddered at the thought. They entered a large passageway, and Bridget immediately grabbed her sword as she saw a man standing with a dozen or so other cultists. This man carried a large battle axe on his back and had a very strict demeanor. Zevran already held a concealed dagger in his hands, waiting for an opportunity. If this man intended to talk business, he highly doubted Bridget would take a part in it. The mysterious man narrowed his eyes.

"Stop! You will go no further!" he spat.

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"And just who may you be telling me where I can and cannot go?" she replied.

The man spat at her.

"You do not have the right to demand my name!" he shouted.

Bridget crossed her arms.

"Just like you don't have the right to tell me where I can and cannot go!" she yelled back, her voice echoing off of the surrounding walls.

"You have defiled our temple, spilt the blood of my brothers and sisters and slaughtered our young!"

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"You're _young_?" she asked.

The man began walking towards her. Zevran gripped the dagger even tighter.

"You will explain to me, you filthy lowlander, why you have done this! Why have you come here?" he demanded.

"You may want to take a few steps back." Bridget warned as the fool had gotten right in her personal space.

He looked at her for a long moment before taking a step back, though it was a very small step. Bridget looked at him.

"If you tell me your name then I will tell you why I am here." She stated.

The man bowed his head for a second and replied,

"I am Father Kolgrim. I am the leader and guide to the Disciples of Andraste. If you kill us, then you will face Andraste herself. She will smell our blood as well as the blood of her children upon your filthy bodies. Her wrath will be great."

Bridget looked at him.

"Children? The dragons? You mean 'Andraste' is a dragon?" she asked slowly, slightly afraid of the answer.

Kolgrim's face grew furious.

"She is _so_ much more! She is more glorious than all of the Old Gods combined! Andraste has prevailed over death itself to return to Her faithful…in an even more radiant form than before."

Bridget felt her stomach knot. This man was a complete lunatic! What she feared now, more so than the thought of another High Dragon…was that the Ashes themselves may have been defiled. She chanced to ask Kolgrim and hoped that she had made the right decision.

"What of the Ashes?" she demanded.

Kolgrim considered her for a second before replying,

"Why they are still here within the temple of course. Why would we bother with them when we have the risen Andraste?"

Leliana shook her head.

"You treat the Ashes with such condescension!" she exclaimed.

Kolgrim crinkled his nose and motioned his hand as if he were brushing the Ashes aside.

"What are they but the remains of a dead, human woman?"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Then you should have no uncertainties about giving them to me then, since you think them so unimportant and below _your_ 'Andraste'."

Kolgrim raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. Suddenly he looked _very _interested in Bridget and the others.

"So you're after the Ashes…perhaps there is a way then for you to make up for your sacrilege of our home and temple then…"

Alistair narrowed his eyes.

"Why are you so willing to cooperate with us all of a sudden?" he asked.

Kolgrim cast his dark, unfeeling eyes on Alistair and replied dryly,

"Perhaps I believe in second chances."

"That, or you want us to do something that you and your followers can't." Zevran chimed in.

Kolgrim ignored him and turned his gaze back to Bridget.

"Perhaps Andraste's greatest enemy will in fact turn out to be Her greatest champion!"

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Just get on with it and say your piece." She stated.

An unsettling smirk played at the corner of Kolgrim's mouth as he continued.

"The Ashes reside in this very mountain, however, they are guarded by an immortal guardian who _refuses_ to accept the truth of the risen Lady."

_I'll be he does._ Bridget thought.

Kolgrim continued.

"You see, these _Ashes_ prevent the newly risen Andraste from realizing her true form, as they are remains from her past life as a mortal. She cannot move on while they exist…"

Bridget's jaw dropped.

"You would destroy the Ashes? I will see your head on a pike first!" she shouted, grabbing her sword and shield.

"To arms my brethren! Andraste will grant us a victory!" Kolgrim shouted.

Oh but Andraste in fact did _not_ grant them a victory, it would seem. The ensuing battle was terribly tough. Leliana climbed on another high perch again to aim her arrows at the distant mages. Alistair and Zevran took on the other cultists members whilst Bridget and Kolgrim squared off. Being that he was a two handed warrior, he was already at a disadvantage. Bridget remembered Fergus always telling her that two handed warriors required more time and strength to draw back their great sword and thus, if you were quick enough with your movements, could be taken down fairly easily as long as you kept your guard up. Bridget raised her shield as Kolgrim swung his axe down on her, nearly breaking her arm beneath her shield. As he drew back, Bridget bashed him with the shield, wincing at the pain in her arm beneath the iron. She raised her blade and swung it towards him, tearing a bit of the chain-mail he wore on his arm. She saw that she drew blood, but it was just a scratch. He rounded on her again, and this time Bridget dodged out of the way. Her right foot landed on a loose rock and caused her to loose her balance slightly, but that was all Kolgrim needed. He swung at her again, grazing her side. Bridget fell back and before he could throw his axe down upon her, he froze in place. Bridget quickly rolled out of the way as Kolgrim fell, a small dagger protruding from the back of his head. She looked to see Alistair running towards her while Zevran took care of the last cultist.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Bridget, with his help, sat up slowly and winced. She brought her hand to her side and placed it there. She felt warm liquid against her hand and removed it to see it covered in her blood. Leliana hurried over to her, as did Zevran who was already removing his pack and grabbing bandages. Leliana sat next to Bridget as Zevran handed her the bandages.

"I can bandage you up really quick. Boys, go over there, I have to take off her armor."

Alistair and Zevran complied with Leliana's request and walked over towards another side of the cavern. Zevran took to searching one of the cultist member's dead bodies. Alistair watched him before whispering,

"Thank you."

Zevran looked up at him.

"For what?" he asked.

Alistair glanced over his shoulder to see Leliana already wrapping the bandage around Bridget's side.

"For throwing that dagger…if you hadn't…"

Zevran grinned and stood, pocketing the few silver pieces he found and hit Alistair on the back with his hand.

"It's what I'm here for!" he exclaimed.

Alistair sighed.

"You know…I was wary when you first joined us. To be completely honest I was afraid you would kill us all in our sleep…but I take it all back. You're a true friend, Zevran." He stated.

Zevran smiled warmly.

"Thank you, and you are a true friend to me too."

They were quiet for a moment before Zevran asked,

"May I offer you some advice?"

Alistair looked at him and nodded.

"Of course."

Zevran smiled cheekily at him.

"Last time we were in camp…it rather did seem that you and Bridget just got going when all grew quiet. Surely you must be exhausted! I have some roots you may chew if you need energy you know, they are wonderful! And if it's volume you're concerned about, maybe you should try arching your,"

Alistair buried his face in his hands.

"Oh Maker…can't you think about anything else? I thought we were having a moment!"

Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"We did! That moment has past, now I'm trying to offer you some crucial advice lest you fail in your future love making escapades with our beautiful Bridget."

Alistair grumbled something inaudible under his breath. When he turned, Bridget and Leliana were walking towards them.

"You should probably have Wynne heal you once we're back at camp." Leliana suggested.

Bridget nodded.

"I had already planned to. Thank you for fixing me up."

Leliana smiled and nodded. They both turned to look at Zevran and Alistair and frowned. Zevran was innocently whistling and Alistair's face was completely red. Bridget, not knowing but already guessing what they had been discussing, decided to not address the topic. She thanked Zevran for saving her and turned to the entrance leading out of the caverns…not knowing that 'Andraste' was perched on the mountainside, sleeping soundly and very, _very _hungry.

A/N: _See, I told you I'd deliver a longer (in my opinion far better) chapter than the last one! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully another one will be coming real soon! I don't usually write fight scenes…I would love to hear what you guys thought of it, as there will be plenty more later! Thanks again so much for reading and reviews are really appreciated!_


	33. Chapter 32: The Guardian

Chapter 32

The Guardian

Bridget led her friends through the opening at the back end of the cavern, glad to have the sunlight spill onto her body and warm her chilled skin, if only slightly. The winds had not calmed and it was now impossible for her to keep her hood from blowing backwards. They exited the cavern slowly, each of them still gripping their weapons just in case another cultist (or something far worse) decided to 'swoop' them. After about ten minutes of walking away from the cavern, Bridget slowly relaxed her arms and sheathed her blade. It wasn't until she turned around, however, that she saw 'Andraste' sitting atop the side of the mountain in the distance.

"Maker…" Alistair breathed.

This dragon had to be at least twice the size of Flemeth. Even from their great distance, Bridget and the others could see her long, sharp talons and the rippled scales of her skin. Zevran took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I don't know if I'll be able to pull off another awesome backstabbing move like I did last time…" he said warily.

Leliana bit her lip.

"Do you think it would be possible to just…sneak by it? As long as we remain quiet…surely it will not wake up…"

Bridget (who in all honestly wanted to avoid a confrontation with this dragon) took Leliana's thought into consideration.

"We'll have to move slowly, if we run, our armor will make too much noise."

Zevran smirked.

"Or we could just strip down to our smalls!" he exclaimed.

Leliana hit him in the arm.

"I like Bridget's idea much better." She stated coolly.

Zevran crossed his arms.

"No body let's me have any fun anymore." He grumbled.

And so everyone (Zevran included) decided to go with Bridget's idea. Slowly the group walked down the dilapidated stone walkway, all of them glancing up at the dragon more times than they could count. Alistair rubbed and scratched his nose, frowning and slightly groaning.

"What's wrong with you?" Bridget asked, _very_ softly.

Alistair sighed.

"I have to sneeze!" he whispered back.

Bridget's eyes widened.

"Can't you…hold it in?" she asked.

Alistair contorted his face.

"Trying to…_achoo!" _

Bridget and the others froze in place. Alistair bit his lip.

"Sorry!" he stated in a hushed whisper.

They all slowly turned to look up at 'Andraste'. Her tail twitched…but she remained asleep. Bridget let out a long breath that she didn't realize she held and looked at the others.

"Let's keep moving." She said softly.

They continued walking at a snails pace until finally they came across an ornate door. Once they saw it, they ran for it, as Bridget determined that they were safely away from the dragon. They all piled into the room and shut the stone door behind them quickly. Bridget rested her back up against the wall and caught her breath. Alistair stood next to her, bent over and panting, trying to regain his breath. Zevran stretched and said,

"You know that feeling you get when you get really nervous and your asshole kind of clenches? I had that feeling the _entire_ time we were out there. And it only got worse when you sneezed!"

Alistair looked at him.

"I did my best to hold it in! Is that even possible? What are you supposed to do, think of something and that prevents you from sneezing?"

Leliana brightened.

"Actually, in Orlais, there's a saying that when you wish to hold in a sneeze, you should think about squirrels!" she exclaimed.

Alistair raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Squirrels? Really?"

She nodded. Alistair gaped at her.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

Leliana placed her hands on her hips.

"Perhaps you should think twice before you call someone else a love bird!" she exclaimed.

Alistair rolled his eyes.

"Oh Maker you two are still going on about that? Ugh!"

Bridget chuckled but winced and held her side. She placed her fingertips to it and removed them to find a small amount of her blood coating them. She sighed. Hopefully they would find the Ashes quickly, that way she could get a proper healing from Wynne. No body noticed as she wiped the blood away, which Bridget was thankful for. No reason to get them all worried when everything would be wrapped up shortly. She cleared her throat and brought her party's attention to the task at hand. Now that everyone had quieted down, they took the opportunity to survey their area.

They stood in a stone hallway. Ornate lanterns hung on the walls, illuminating a path down the hallway and towards a room. Bridget squinted her eyes to see further into the distance. A person looked to be standing there. She beckoned the others forward and slowly they traversed through the stone hallway. Upon reaching the room at the other end, Bridget could now properly make out the figure in the distance. It was a man wearing an intricate helmet that looked as if angel's wings had been engraved on the side. He stood proudly, but in a way that was not aloof or overconfident. His face betrayed no emotion and he stood, guarding the entrance into another room. Bridget slowly approached the man, hoping that for once, this person would be able to help them.

"I bid you welcome, pilgrim." The man said in a soothing, calm voice.

Bridget nodded towards him.

"Thank you. I am here for the Urn of Sacred Ashes." She replied.

The man nodded.

"You have come to honor Andraste, and you shall, if you prove yourself worthy of her." He stated.

Bridget swallowed and felt a pain in her side once more. She _really_ didn't have time to chit-chat. She looked up at him and said,

"I need the Ashes to cure a very noble man who is gravely ill."

The armored man nodded but replied,

"You must still prove yourself worthy, pilgrim. It is not my place to do so…but that of The Gauntlet. If you are deemed worthy, you will see the Urn and be allowed to take a small pinch of the Ashes."

Bridget drew her brows together, not really liking the ominous name of 'The Gauntlet'.

"Can you tell me what the Gauntlet is?" she asked softly.

The man looked at her and explained.

"The Gauntlet tells the true pilgrims from the false. It will test your faith, your souls. We will see how your souls fare in the outcome."

Zevran shifted his weight between his feet.

"Hmm…perhaps I should have waited outside…"

Bridget took a deep breath.

"Can you tell me anything else about this Gauntlet?" she asked.

The man, who Bridget now guessed to be the Guardian that Kolgrim mentioned, shook his head.

"You will understand what it is once you face it." He replied.

Bridget swallowed and nodded.

"Very well, I will enter the Gauntlet."

The Guardian nodded, but his gaze shifted into that of a questioning one.

"Before you go, I must ask you this. I can see that the path here for you was not easily reached. There is suffering in your past…that of a great nature."

Bridget looked at him, but remained silent. The Guardian's face remained calm as did his voice and his eyes. He then said,

"You abandoned your mother and father, left them to suffer a fate most heinous at the hands of Rendon Howe who you know showed them no mercy. Tell me…do you think you failed your parents?"

Bridget looked up at him as her eyes filled with tears. Of course she failed them! She failed her entire family that night! Because of her, her parents, the very people that granted her life and gave her love were not nothing but mangled corpses, or nothing but ash. Because of her, Oriana and Orhen, Fergus's beloved wife and son, her dear sister-in-law and nephew laid slaughtered in their own room! Did she fail her parents? The answer, in her eyes, was quite simple. Bridget felt tears stream from her eyes as she hung her head in shame. She should have defended her castle, her home to the last man. She should have stayed with her parents...for one last time. She should have died with them at the hands of Howe and his men. She should not even be alive right now. Bridget began to shake from trying to hold her composure and fight back her tears. Her lip quivered.

"Y-Yes…I failed my entire family." She replied in an anguished whisper.

Alistair placed a hand on her back.

"You are too hard on yourself." He whispered.

The crying only intensified the pain Bridget felt in her side. She tried to calm herself, but damn if it wasn't hard. The Guardian nodded.

"Thank you, that is all I wanted to know."

The Guardian then cast his gaze onto Bridget's friends.

"And what of those that follow you?" he asked slowly.

His gaze met Alistair's, who swallowed and looked back at him.

"Alistair, brave knight and Grey Warden…you often wonder if things had been different if you had been with Duncan that fateful night on the battle field. You, being so skilled, could have shielded him from the killing blow. You wonder if you should have died in his place, and not him…do you not?"

Alistair dropped his gaze and sighed.

I…yes. If Duncan had been saved and not I, things would be so much better now…If I just had the chance then maybe,"

Bridget slipped her hand into Alistair's and gave it a light squeeze. The rest of his sentence died in his throat as he looked at her, the ghosts of tears brimming in his eyes. He squeezed her hand back and then looked at his feet.

The Guardian turned to Zevran.

"And what of the Antivan elf?"

Zevran looked at him.

"Oh my turn now? Yay I am so excited!" he said with mock enthusiasm.

The Guardian looked at him. Bridget guessed that the fact that Zevran was being sarcastic hadn't even fazed him.

"Many have died at your hand…and yet is there any that you regret more than a woman by the name of,"

Zevran's eyes widened. All traces of smirking vanished from his face…and his eyes…his eyes were filled with disbelief.

"How do you know about that?" he asked quickly, his voice wavering slightly.

The Guardian tipped his head to the side.

"I know much as it is allowed to me…but the question still stands…do you regret,"

Zevran crossed his arms and broke his eye contact with the Guardian.

"Yes. The answer is yes. We are done now, move on and ask someone else your questions." He stated.

Bridget looked at Zevran. His eyes held pain, his face, sadness. The Guardian then turned his gaze to Leliana.

"And you…why do you claim that the Maker has spoken to you when all of us know that He has left us? He only spoke to Andraste Herself. Do you believe yourself to be Her equal?"

Leliana shook her head.

"I never said that though! I,"

The Guardian cut her off by saying,

"In Orlais you were _someone_…in Lothering, you feared that you would lose sight of yourself…you trembled at the thought of becoming nothing but a drab sister, and disappear. When the brothers and sisters cruelly criticized you for your drabbles, you were hurt…but you also secretly reveled in it. The attention made you feel special, even though it was negative. You enjoyed it."

Leliana's eyes widened.

"You're saying that I made it up for…_attention_? I did not! _I _know what I believe in!" she exclaimed.

The Guardian turned his head back to Bridget who had finally calmed herself of her tears…for now at least. He nodded towards her and stepped to the side.

"The way is open. Good luck to you, pilgrims…may you find what it is that you seek."

Bridget nodded slowly and moved forward, slightly grimacing at the pain in her side. She turned towards the now opened passageway and took a deep breath, ready to take on what the Gauntlet had in store for her. However, the things Bridget came across in the Gauntlet…nothing could prepare her for.

A/N: _I apologize once again for some of the in game dialogue. How could I ever be able to come up with something greater than what the fabulous writers of Bioware have written? By the way, they own everything, but you knew that already! (I just realized I never posted a disclaimer, so there it is!) I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I should have the next one hopefully posted very soon!_


	34. Chapter 33: The Gauntlet

Chapter 33

The Gauntlet

Bridget took a deep breath and slowly led her friends down another torch-lit hallway, her footsteps resounding off of the stone walls. Bridget's eyes widened as she led the others into the first room of the Gauntlet. The room was cold…from what, Bridget didn't know until four apparitions appeared on each side of the room. They stood there, gazing off into nothing, or they may have been staring at only something they could see, Bridget wasn't very sure. Each spirit had wisps of energy floating around them. None of the spirits appeared to be hostile, which was a good thing as Bridget felt more of her blood seep through the wound in her side. She drew her brows together as she slowly approached the spirit towards her right. As soon as she approached the spirit of the young woman, the ghostly apparition broke out in a riddle.

"The smallest lark could carry it, while a strong man may not. Of what do I speak?" she asked.

Bridget bit her lip. Oh she had never been good at riddles her entire life, this time being no exception. She sighed and racked her brain over all of the possible answers. Leliana brightened.

"I believe I know the answer!" she whispered in her ear.

Bridget looked at her.

"What is it?" she asked, desperate for the answer.

Leliana looked at the spirit.

"A tune!" she exclaimed.

The apparition brightened.

"Yes. I, you see, was Andraste's closest friend in childhood, and we would spend our days singing and dancing to all different types of tunes. She celebrated the beauty of life, and all who heard Her were filled to the brim with joy! They say the Maker Himself was moved by Andraste's song, and then She sang no more of simple things."

A bright light flooded through the room and Bridget had to close her eyes. When she opened them, the apparition was gone. She turned around and addressed the spirit behind her, towards the left.

"Echoes of a realm filled with shadows, soft whispers of things yet to come. Thought's strange sister dwells at night, is swept away by dawning light. Of what do I speak?"

Bridget raised her eyebrows. She actually thought she might know the answer to this one!

"Dreams?" she replied softly.

The spirit of the older woman nodded sadly and replied in a solemn voice,

"A dream came upon me one fateful night as my daughter slumbered beneath my heart. It told me of her life…of her betrayal…and of her death…"

She paused for a minute and looked at Bridget, and, although her eyes were transparent, Bridget could have sworn she saw a flicker of sadness fill them for a brief moment.

"I am sorrow and regret. I am a mother weeping bitter tears for a daughter she could not save…"

The apparition faded out of sight, only small trails of her energy remained, and they too floated up towards the ceiling, that in the form of a broken heart, and vanished within the air.

Bridget returned to the right side of the room once again and approached an apparition of another woman who wore the robes of the magi. Her face was vivid against the dark stone backwash of the wall, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye. The debt of blood is one that must be paid in full. Of what do I speak?" she asked in a harsh tone.

Zevran raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds like vengeance to me." He stated.

The spirit narrowed her eyes even more, if it was possible, and nodded.

"Yes. My husband, Hessarian, would have chosen a quick death for his beloved Andraste. But I made him swear that she would die publicly, with her war-leaders, that all would know the Imperium's strength!" she hissed.

Bridget slowly took a step back as the spirit balled her fists in rage.

"I am justice. I am vengeance. Blood can only be paid in blood." She said coldly before erupting in flames and vanishing before their eyes.

Bridget swallowed and turned back around to address the spirit on the other side of the room. Upon walking up to him, Alistair took a deep breath. Bridget looked at him.

"Someone you know?" she asked.

Alistair blinked and tore his eyes away from the elven apparition.

"I don't know if it's him or not…but I think that is Shartan, the elf who helped Andraste free the other elves from the Imperium." He stated.

Bridget turned back to the spirit who gave no recognition to anything Alistair had just said. Instead, he too began speaking a riddle.

"I'd neither a guest nor a trespasser be; in this place I belong, that belongs also to me. Of what do I speak?"

Bridget smiled sadly. She knew this one as well.

"You speak of home." She replied softly.

The elven spirit nodded, his eyes flickering with that of hope.

"It was my dream for the people to have a home of their own, where we would have no masters, except for ourselves. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and thus we followed Andraste, against the Imperium and all it's prejudices." He stated.

The elf's look of hope vanished and was replaced with sadness.

"But She was betrayed…and then so were we." He whispered.

He evaporated before them, wisps of his remains drifting upwards towards the ceiling. Bridget turned once more and walked up to the apparition towards the right side of the room. This apparition was a Brother of the Chantry as he was clothed in it's robes. He looked at Bridget as she stood in front of him and began his riddle.

"The bones of the world stretch towards the sky's embrace. Veiled in white, like a bride greeting her groom. Of what do I speak?"

Alistair looked up from his feet.

"I believe he's talking about the mountains." He stated.

Bridget turned back to the spirit to see him nodding solemnly.

"Yes. It was I who carried Andraste's Ashes out of Tevinter and into the mountains to the east where she could forever gaze up into Her Maker's sky…no more fitting a tomb than this could we find." He whispered.

Bridget watched as the brother evaporated in a dim yellow orange hue, like that of the early morning rays of the sun. She then led the others back to the other side of the room where they addressed the spirit of who, Leliana told them was Maferath: Andraste's husband. He looked at Bridget and said,

"A poison of the soul, passion's cruel counterpart; From love she grows, till love lies slain. Of what do I speak?"

Zevran nudged Bridget in the arm.

"That's jealousy." He stated.

The spirit of Maferath nodded.

"Yes, jealousy is what drove me to my betrayal. I was the greatest general of the Alamarri…but beside Her, I was simply just a man. Hundreds fell before Her on bended knee. They all loved her…as did the Maker."

The spirit was quiet for a moment and Bridget could have sworn she saw him swallow back a lump in his throat.

"I loved her too, but what man on Thedas could compare to a god?" he asked in an anguished whisper.

He too slowly disappeared from sight and the last remnants of his energy floated upwards until they too vanished.

Bridget turned once again to address the final spirit on the right side of the room. This spirit was also a brother of the Chantry, as he too wore their robes. He looked at Bridget as she approached her and thus began his riddle.

"No man has seen it, but all men know it. Lighter than air, sharper than any sword, comes from nothing but will fell the strongest of armies. Of what do I speak?" he asked in an aloof tone.

Bridget looked at him.

"You speak of hunger, spirit." She replied.

The brother nodded.

"Yes, for hunger was the weapon that was used against the wicked men of the Tevinter Imperium. The Maker kindled the sun's harsh flame, scorching the land and drying out the crops. The crops failed and their armies could not march. Then the Maker opened the heavens and bade the waters flow, washing away their filth. I am Cathaire, disciple of Andraste and commander of Her armies. I saw these things done and knew the Maker smiled upon us!"

Another great burst of white light filled the cold, damp room and Cathaire vanished before their eyes. Bridget walked once more to the left side of the room to approach the last and final spirit that barred them access to the rest of the Gauntlet. This spirit was that of another mage, and Bridget guessed him to be the Hessarian that the other mage spirit mentioned earlier. Upon walking towards him, he began his riddle.

"She wields the broken sword, and separates true kings from tyrants. Of what do I speak?" he asked.

Bridget thought over the answer for a minute before replying,

"You speak of mercy." She stated.

The spirit nodded and explained.

"Yes. I could not bear the sight of Andraste's suffering, could not stand to hear her shrieks and cries. Mercy bade me end Her life. I am the penitent sinner who shows others compassion in hopes that compassion will be shown to him."

With that the spirit of Hessarian disappeared and the large oak doors at the end of the hallway now stood open, allowing Bridget and the others access to the next trial. Zevran sighed.

"Whew, I'm so glad that's over with, those riddles really did make you think didn't they?" he asked.

Alistair and Leliana nodded.

"A little too much…_oomph!_" Alistair's sentence was cut short as he accidentally walked into Bridget.

They had followed her down the hallway and weren't really paying attention. None of them noticed that Bridget had stopped in her place, which is why Alistair bumped into her.

"Forgive me, love…Bridget?"

Alistair looked at her worriedly. Her eyes had grown wide and were filled with tears again. She held a look of shock on her face as she stared in front of her. Alistair quickly turned to see what she was looking at. His eyes landed on a man who held a kind face and wore the clothes of nobles. It wasn't until Alistair noticed his eyes that his brain suddenly made the realization. The man's eyes were a startling sapphire blue…just like Bridget's. Bridget swallowed. The Gauntlet was truly a terrifying place, after all. It not only tested your wit, but also your heart, and right now she felt hers crumble and break. She knew her father was gone, and nothing could bring him back…and the Gauntlet knew this as well, that is why they conjured this vision of him to test her, to see how she would react. Bridget took a moment to stare at him once more. His silver hair was the same, his kind eyes that were like a mirror's image of her own were filled with love as he stared back at her. Every wrinkle about his face was still there, nothing about Bryce Cousland had changed at all. He looked just the way Bridget remembered him. He walked up to Bridget and took her hands in his. At his touch, Bridget felt all the pain in her side vanish…she wondered for a moment if holding her father's hands had healed the wound in her side.

"My dearest, my sweet little girl…" he whispered.

Bridget felt her lip quiver as fresh tears rolled down her face.

"Father…" she whispered in reply.

Bryce smiled at her warmly and squeezed her hands in his.

"Darling, you know that I am gone from this world, gone to be with the Maker once more…your prayers and wishes cannot bring me back."

Bridget trembled with her sobs. Bryce lifted a hand to her cheek and wiped away one of her tears with his thumb.

"Pup, you cannot let my death have a hold on you anymore. You must move on. You must set your eyes on the dawn of the days to come, and you must not falter. You have such a long journey ahead of you, but I know that you can do it, my love."

Bridget drew her brows together as she placed her hand atop Bryce's.

"What if I can't do it?" she asked softly.

Bryce shook his head.

"You can, and you will, with the help of your friends." He said as he cast his eyes across the other faces in the room. His eyes rested on Alistair.

"You make my daughter happy, young man. In life, I honestly believed I was the only man capable of that. Keep her safe, Alistair Therin. Keep her strong."

Alistair gave a slight bow in compliance. Bryce returned his attention to Bridget and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Remember my daughter that you are a Cousland, and that I love you very much. I give this to you, my child. Use it well."

Bridget threw her arms around Bryce as he began to fade. She didn't want to let go, not ever.

"I love you, Papa." She whispered into his chest.

Bridget felt him return the hug.

"And I you, my dearest."

Bridget felt his grip loosen, each time she felt it loosen; she gripped tighter until she stood in the middle of the stone hallway, hugging herself. Bridget slowly opened her eyes to find Bryce gone, her own arms wrapped around herself in his place. She slowly dropped her arms and opened her hand to view the item that Bryce had given her. Bridget stared at the intricate ring resting in her palm, and realized that it was the one her father always wore. She slid it onto her ring finger on her right hand, the same hand he always wore it on. As if magic had shrunk it's size, the ring fit perfectly on her small finger. She wiped her eyes and smiled down at it, turning her palm over to catch it in the light. The ring itself was white gold and carried a large emerald. Engraved on the emerald was a large, fancy '_C'_, four Cousland. Bridget took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her father was right. There was no reason for tears to still shed. She had to put the tragedy that befell them behind her if she could ever hope to move forward. Bridget lifted her head and looked at the others. It was time to move on, and look towards the sky to see the dawn of every morning to come, just as her father had advised.

A/N: _First I apologize for the double update of the same chapter! A small portion of this chapter was left off the first upload, I apologize! Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Another update is on the horizon! :)_


	35. Chapter 34: The Urn of Sacred Ashes

Chapter 34

The Urn of Sacred Ashes

After another moment passed of Bridget and the others still standing in the hall where they had met Bryce, Bridget decided it was time to move forward. She led the others into the next room and looked around. The room was empty, and apparently there was no barrier as Bridget could see on the opposite side of the room a set of stairs leading up to the next level. Thinking it a bit odd that the room was vacant, Bridget cautiously led the others forward. It wasn't until they reached the middle of the room that the torches lit on the sides of the walls were blown out. They stood in an eerie darkness, and Bridget felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up uneasily.

"This can't be good…" Alistair stated as he drew his blade.

Bridget did the same. Suddenly, a great gust of air filled the room. Bridget covered her eyes with her arm to keep the dust from seeping into her eyes. After the wind stopped, she slowly dropped her arm and raised her eyebrows. The flames were restored to the torches. This was not what surprised Bridget, however. Standing about three feet ahead of her and her friends were replicas of themselves. These 'shadow' beings though carried no pupils and only stared back at them with the whites of their eyes. Each of them stood in a fighting stance with a confident sneer on their face. Bridget looked at the others and ran forward, ready to take on her shadow self. The ensuing battle was fairly difficult. No matter how many times Bridget swung her sword; the shadow was able to block it. This was equally true for when the shadow attacked, as Bridget knew when to block. Bridget looked at the others and noticed that they appeared to be having this difficulty as well. As Bridget dodged another attack from her shadow self, she realized that she would have to exploit her _own_ weaknesses in order to take down her shadow. She grinned as she eyed her shadow's ankles. The cursed things had always been her weakness! As she dodged another blow, she swept her foot underneath the feet of her shadow, throwing it off balance and making it fall back. Bridget took that opportunity to run her blade through the shadow. It's ghostly white eyes widened and then it vanished on the other end of her sword. Bridget smirked and looked at the others. They too had apparently had the same realization as Bridget had as each of them now held the upper hand in the fight. Alistair finished his shadow as did Leliana, Zevran being last. Once he finished he took a deep breath and wiped his arm across his forehead.

"Damn…I'm pretty tough to kill!" he exclaimed.

He then furrowed his brow and looked at Bridget.

"How is it _you_ got me so easily then?" he asked.

Bridget chuckled and patted him on his back.

"Maybe I'm just that skilled." She stated.

Zevran threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"That is quite true." He replied.

The party made their way towards the staircase off in the distance and climbed the stairs slowly. Upon reaching the top, they saw a very large chasm separating them from the other side of the room. Bridget walked up to it and placed her hands on her hips.

"Hmm…anybody have any rope?" she asked.

Zevran shook his head.

"I'm afraid I left all I had in Leliana's tent…" he stated.

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"What would you need rope for in her tent?"

Zevran grinned sheepishly and slapped Alistair on the back.

"Oh my dear friend, no longer a virgin but still _so_ very innocent."

Leliana chuckled.

"It seems like you have been far too easy on your little templar." She whispered to Bridget.

Bridget chuckled under her breath as she and Leliana began looking around the room.

"How does that even _work_!" Alistair exclaimed.

Leliana looked up from the floor and shook her head.

"Zev, leave Alistair alone and come and help me." She stated.

The elf quickly did as Leliana asked of him, leaving behind a still confused and blushing Alistair who went to join Bridget on the other side of the room. Bridget happen to look up as he was walking towards her and, although she thought her eyes could have played a trick on her, she thought she saw a little bit of a bridge suddenly appear, and then vanish as Alistair walked past that spot.

"Ugh the things people come up with…can you believe they actually use rope to,"

Bridget cut him off by saying,

"Take a step back for a second."

Alistair drew his brows together in confusion, but did as Bridget asked. Once he stepped back, a little shaded bridge appeared! Although it wasn't solid, Bridget guessed that there were other hidden pressure plates just like the one Alistair stood on. She ran her hands over the dust and dirt that lay in front of her and grinned as she uncovered another pressure plate!

"This room's filled with pressure plates! That's how we get to the other side!" Bridget exclaimed.

Now the hard part…determining the correct combinations that would form the bridge. It appeared to Bridget that this part of the gauntlet would test the teamwork and trust she had developed with her friends. It took quite some time before they completed the first set of the bridge, and it only seemed to take longer while they tried to form the second set, but towards the end everyone seemed to get the hang of things and Bridget was able to get to the other side. Once made it across safely, her friends followed her. The group walked down a short hallway before entering the next room of the Gauntlet. Upon entering the room Bridget felt a wave of heat wash over her body. She looked around and noticed that a large wall of fire erupted around them, blocking their path ahead. A lone stone alter stood before Bridget. She bent down and rubbed her hand over the stone to remove the dust. Once she did so, there was a message inscribed into the stone. It read:

_Cast off the trappings of worldly life and cloak yourself in the goodness of spirit. King and slave, lord and beggar; be born again in the Maker's sight_.

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"I think we have to take off our armor."

Zevran grinned.

"Finally!"

Bridget removed her armor and stood in her small clothes and took a deep breath.

"Now what?" Leliana asked.

Bridget looked over her shoulder at her.

"I think we have to walk through the flames."

Alistair gaped at her.

"That's madness!" he exclaimed.

Bridget turned back around to face the intimidating fire that stood before her. For some reason, she was not afraid of the flames. In fact, she was rather drawn to their flickering beauty. Bridget slowly stepped forward and let the flame envelop her. Surprisingly, she felt no pain, but instead the flames relaxed her and soothed her aching body. Before she knew it, she had made it across the barrier. Bridget opened her eyes and stared at the Guardian who now appeared in front of her. He smiled warmly.

"You have completed the trials of Andraste and have walked her path. You have proven yourself very worthy, pilgrim. You may now approach the ashes." With that, the Guardian disappeared.

As the others made their way through the flames, Bridget redressed into her armor and waited for the others to do so. Once everyone was dressed Bridget turned and stared at the staircase that sat before her. She trailed her eyes up the stairs and they landed on the Urn. The Urn itself was made of pure gold that shined in the light of the flames and that of the sun spilling in through the cracked ceiling. Standing above the Urn was a large statue of Andraste, holding her hands in front of herself in prayer and looking upwards towards the sky…towards the Maker. Bridget slowly ascended the stair case with her friends close behind her and looked down at the Urn. Inscribed in the Urn were beautiful swirls and symbols. The air was very peaceful. Leliana breathed in deeply.

"I never dreamed I would lay eyes on the Urn of Sacred Ashes…I have no words to express how I feel…other than that I am deeply, deeply honored."

Alistair nodded.

"I didn't think anyone was capable of finding Andraste's Ashes and yet here…here she is…"

Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"Nice vase…it would look nice in my home." He said un-amused.

Bridget, with slightly shaky hands lifted the lid of the Urn and gently set it aside. She slowly dipped her hand into the Ashes and took a deep breath. They were cool to the touch, but just by touching them every bruise on Bridget's skin seemed to shrink and vanish. She slowly removed the small pinch of the Ashes and placed them in the small velvet pouch that Alistair held open for her. After placing the Ashes in the pouch, Bridget replaced the lid to the Urn and looked at the others.

"Let's head back." She said softly.

Bridget and the others descended the steps and exited the room through the side door…only to come across the dead carcass of 'Andraste'.

"Maker's breath who did this?" Bridget asked in surprise.

Zeus's head poked out from behind the dragon's body and he bounded towards Bridget through the thick snow.

"How'd you get here boy?" Bridget asked as she scratched his ears.

Alistair gaped at the mabari hound.

"More importantly…how did you do that?"

They each heard a scoff and more footsteps as Morrigan and Wynne appeared from behind the dragon as well.

"Honestly…do you really think a lone mabari hound would be capable of this?"

Bridget looked at them.

"What are you three doing here?" she asked.

Wynne looked at her.

"I was growing worried…you four have been gone for quite some time."

Bridget and the others looked at each other.

"What do you mean?" Alistair asked slowly.

Morrigan raised her eyebrows.

"You four have been gone for the past three days." She replied.

Bridget's eyes widened.

"What?"

Zevran shook his head.

"That's not possible…"

Bridget shrugged.

"Perhaps time becomes in enigma while going through the Gauntlet." She suggested.

Alistair looked at Wynne.

"Is the Brother,"

Wynne nodded.

"Yes he is fine; he remains still at the front of the temple. In fact, he told us of a shortcut so that we would not have to travel through the entire temple and it's connecting caverns."

Bridget sighed in relief. At least this meant a shorter journey back!

"We have the Ashes so if you could lead us." She said.

Wynne nodded.

The entire party followed Wynne and Morrigan and made their way through the shortcut back to the Ruined Temple. Brother Genitivi remained at the front, unharmed and beaming at them. He approached Bridget and smiled.

"Did you find the Urn?" he asked softly.

Bridget nodded.

"Would you like to see the Ashes I took?"

Genitivi shook his head.

"Oh my dear girl no, I am not worthy to look upon them…"

Bridget smiled and nodded understandingly.

"Where will you go now?" she asked.

Genitivi placed all the scrolls he filled up into his pack as he looked up at her.

"Back to my home, I must write all my findings and maybe even start pilgrimages here! Many people would love to see the Urn…it would bring so much hope…"

Bridget grinned.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Genitivi!" she exclaimed.

He stood and swung his pack over his shoulder.

"If you ever find yourself back in Denerim, do pay me a visit. I will take my leave now."

"Are you sure you don't wish to camp with us tonight?" Bridget offered.

Genitivi shook his head.

"I appreciate the offer, but I must return home as quickly as possible. My leg is much better now thanks to your friend," he nodded towards Wynne. "I must really be off."

With that, he thanked Bridget once more before turning and leaving the temple. Bridget and the others followed him out and walked through the now deserted village of Haven. Upon exiting the empty village, Bridget decided to set up camp in the secluded forest towards the north. While the others set up camp, Bridget found the nearest stream she could so she could wash off all the caked on blood that was around the now healed wound in her side. She took her time, wanting to be apart from her friends for a while so she could think things over. Bridget still couldn't get over the fact that her father had appeared, but knew that she was a stronger person now because he had. When she returned to camp she found herself too tired to even eat anything and climbed into her tent. Alistair was already inside, grimacing as he chewed on what looked like a dried up twig. Bridget crinkled her nose.

"What is that?" she asked.

Alistair swallowed hard and shook his head.

"Something of Zevran's…" he said before he chucked it out of the little open side of the tent.

Bridget chuckled and yawned as she laid down on her bedroll, pulling up the wool blanket to her chin. Alistair laid next to her and brushed her hair away from her face. He smiled.

"So…you're father approves of me."

Bridget grinned.

"Just so you know, that's saying a lot. Papa was always very hard to impress."

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"So I wasn't the first to vie for your affections?"

Bridget laughed. Before she could continue though, she heard Zevran's voice outside her tent say,

"See! I told you those roots would help!"

Alistair blushed and scrambled up to a sitting position quickly and stuck his head out the flap.

"Oh go on somewhere!" he shouted.

Bridget giggled as Alistair turned back around and settled back down next to her, the tips of his ears shining in red.

"As I was saying, no you weren't. I was the eye candy for the majority of young noblemen throughout Highever. But no one seemed to be able to pass Papa's standards, thankfully for me. The last thing I wanted was to get married to some pompous noble who thought I was my best at home."

Alistair smiled.

"It's a good thing I'm not some pompous noble then." He stated.

Bridget snuggled up closer to him and kissed him lightly.

"That it is!" she replied, her eyes shining in laughter.

They were quiet a few minutes before Bridget said,

"You know…we're near the Frost Back Mountains…do you think we should go to Orzammar first before going all the way back to Redcliffe?"

Alistair looked at her and thought for a moment.

"We are closer to the dwarves….I suppose it's safe enough for us to go on to them. Hey who knows, maybe they'll be willing to help us right when we get there!"

Bridget chuckled.

"That's wishful thinking, you know." She replied.

Alistair shrugged.

"What can I say, I'm an optimist!"

Bridget hugged him tightly and rested her head against his chest.

"That you are." She whispered.

Bridget fell into a deep sleep, this time for once one that was not plagued by images of Howe or even the Arch Demon. She fell asleep hoping that once they made it to Orzammar, the dwarves would be ready, and willing to help them…

But once again…that was wishful thinking.

A/N: _Boy I really would have loved it if my companions that remained at camp DID take down the dragon so I wouldn't have to. Oh well! Next up our group is heading for Orzammar! Stay tuned, I've got some great dialogue lined up for the chapters ahead! :)_

_Once again, thanks for reading!_


	36. Chapter 35: Orzammar

Chapter 35

Orzammar

The following morning Bridget announced that Orzammar would be the next stop to recruit the aid of the dwarves. She had her doubts of course (can you blame her?) that they would be eager to provide assistance. After all, most dwarves didn't even _want_ to have anything to do with the surface world. The party picked up camp and, after throwing on their heavy cloaks and pulling up their hoods, set forth north, ever deeper into the Frost Back Mountains. Seeing as how Darkspawn came from Orzammar or the Deep Roads for that matter, it was no surprise that the closer they got to the great dwarven city, the more they encountered. The unsettling thought that crossed Bridget's mind, however, was not the fact that they were running into more of the disgusting creatures, but of how potent their mages were and how strong their fighters had gotten. She tried to push her thoughts away, wanting to concentrate on the task at hand. The days continued to dwindle, and the nights were nearly unbearable. The further up they went the mountains, the colder it grew. Sooner or later, Bridget figured she'd just have to sleep on top of Alistair to stay warm, not that she didn't think he would really mind. After about half a week's journey through the mountain, killing Darkspawn and trying to keep warm, Bridget finally saw the outskirts of Orzammar in the distance, or rather, the large stone door leading down into the city. They paused for a moment once they stepped into the large clearing in the forest that led up to the great gates and stood around a fire where two gossips stood, whispering about something. Bridget rubbed her fingerless gloved hands together. She thought for sure each of her fingers could break off probably as easily as the twigs would on the nearby icicle covered trees.

"What I would give to be warm again!" Alistair mumbled as he stood next to Bridget and tried to gather warmth from the small fire.

Zeus, who had laid down for a moment of rest, perked an ear and turned his head towards the gates. Bridget noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong boy?" she asked.

She followed Zeus's gaze and noticed a man with a few lackeys trying to gain entry into Orzammar, and apparently the dwarven guard wouldn't let him in. Deciding that it was time to move on, Bridget called the others forward and led them up the snow swept steps toward the dwarven guard on duty. Bridget could tell he was highly irritated with the man he was speaking with, as he was mumbling under his breath in his native language. When the man persisted, the dwarf said loudly,

"_Veta!_ This land is held in trust for the sovereign drwaven kings! I _cannot_ allow any entry at this time!"

The man, who clearly did not get the point that the poor dwarf was trying to make, continued to persist and pester him.

"King Loghain _demands_ the allegiance of your kings or lords or whatever it is you people call them! _I_ am his appointed messenger!"

Before the guard could reply, Bridget crossed her arms and stepped in.

"_King_ Loghain? I was not aware that Fereldon had a new king. Don't tell me I missed the celebrations! That would just _break_ my heart." She said, sarcasm riddled throughout her voice.

The messenger looked over at her curiously.

"Have you been living under a rock this past month?"

Bridget raised an eyebrow, but decided to ignore him. She turned back to the dwarf.

"I have important business in Orzammar, good ser." She stated.

The messenger looked flabbergasted.

"Are you _daft_? Your business cannot be more important than mine!"

The dwarf sighed in irritation and shook his head.

"You're business will have to wait, we cannot allow outsiders in until our throne is settled." He replied.

Alistair looked up and said,

"We must speak to your king, it is very urgent."

Loghain's messenger scoffed and stated,

"Who doesn't? I've been here trying to get in for the past three hours!"

The dwarf sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Orzammar currently has no king. Endrin Adeucan returned to the stone only three weeks ago. The Assembly has gone through several votes, but no one will agree on a successor. We are on the brink of civil war."

"Seems like things in Orzammar aren't that different from things going on up here." Alistair whispered.

Bridget bowed her head.

"I am sorry for the loss of your king, but the Grey Wardens need their traditional dwarven allies." She said as she handed the guard the treaty.

Before the dwarf had a chance to reply, Loghain's messenger cut in and exclaimed,

"The Grey Wardens are the ones who killed King Cailan! They are sworn enemies of King Loghain!"

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting really tired of hearing that." She grumbled.

The dwarf examined the documents closely and looked up.

"This is the royal seal. Only the Assembly can address this, Grey Warden, you may enter Orzammar."

Messenger boy looked flabbergasted.

"You're letting in a traitor! In the name of King Loghain I demand that you execute this…stain on the honor of Fereldon!"

Bridget cut her eyes towards the man and replied,

"I'm sorry, but I believe the only stain here will be what's left of you on the stone once I'm finished with you."

The dwarven guard (who at this point had had quite enough) shouted,

"Look, kill each other if you must but take your sodding fight off of my doorstep!"

Bridget withdrew her blade and just as she had predicted, Loghain's messenger laid bleeding out near the bottom of the steps. Once his lackeys had been taken care of, Bridget and the others climbed the steps once more. The dwarf smiled at her and said,

"Thank you for getting rid of that sodding nug humper! The blighted fool's been barking in my ear for the past three hours, 'Loghain this and Loghain that'. You may now enter Orzammar."

Bridget nodded at his thanks and stepped back as the great doors were opened. She and the others stepped through the opening and descended the stairs that led them to the Orzammar Hall of Heroes. Upon taking the last step, another guard addressed Bridget.

"_Atrast_ _Vala_, Warden. You're arrival here is a mixed blessing. As I am sure you are already aware, Orzammar is currently in a great debate. We do not like others to see us at our weakest."

Bridget nodded.

"Thank you. Can you tell me where I may find the Assembly?"

The dwarf raised his eyebrows.

"You certainly don't waste any time now do you? The Assembly is located in the Diamond Quarter, though I cannot say if you will be seen today. We are currently deadlocked in our debate to find a new king. To get to the Diamond Quarter, follow these steps down and go out through the door on the other side of the room. You will then be in the Commons. From there, go right and you will find yourself in the Diamond Quarter."

Bridget smiled.

"Thank you for your directions. I've never been to Orzammar before, and I'd appreciate not getting lost."

The dwarf chuckled.

"You are most welcome."

Bridget led the others down the steps and looked around at the stone architecture that surrounded the room. Large statues of dwarves stood proudly with inscriptions beneath them, telling all about their victories.

"These statues are of the different Paragons, the best of the best in their House." Alistair explained.

Upon reaching the other side of the room, Bridget and the others stepped through the large double doors and entered the Commons. Bridget's eyes widened. She had heard tales of Orzammar when she was young, but she never expected it to be quite so…elaborate. Large stone structures were built within the rock and lava flowed profusely beneath the city. Bridget was thankful for the lava as it set the temperature about the room to be quite warm, a welcome from being out in the cold for the past week. Bridget's sight-seeing was cut short, however, as she approached the bottom of the staircase where a large group of dwarves had gathered and were arguing back and forth. A much older dwarf who had hair of the whitest shade shook his head disapprovingly at the younger dwarf that carried light brown hair and said,

"It is the Assembly that makes a king a king, Bhelen. Blood has nothing to do with it." He stated.

The dwarf who Bridget assumed was Bhelen, cut his eyes at the older dwarf and quipped,

"Or, as now, when _someone_ tries to use the Assembly to pull a coup."

The older dwarf said nothing as Bhelen continued on his rant, his voice rising,

"Who's to say what my father said in his final hours when the usurper Harrowmont was the only one by his side? How are any of us to believe you, Harrowmont when you could be making this whole story up just so you can take the throne from the Adeucans!"

Harrowmont narrowed his eyes.

"I'll have you thrown in prison! You risk all of Orzammar!"

Behlen scoffed.

"You've bitten off more than you can chew, old man!"

A guard stepped in and shouted,

"Handlers! You will separate these deshyrs in the Diamond Quarter! I will not have Bhelen incite a riot here!"

The dwarf standing closest to Bhelen withdrew his axe.

"You will not speak that way towards your king!"

Before the guard had any hope of defending himself, Bhelen's man slammed his axe into the man's gut, spraying his blood everywhere. More guards appeared and Bridget already noticed that Harrowmont and his men had fled. Upon seeing the reinforcements, Bhelen too shoved off, dragging behind him the dwarf that had killed the innocent guard. The other guards sighed and began cleaning up the body of their fellow guardsman as another guard took his place. He stared at Bridget and the others and sighed.

"_Veta_ surfacer! I must allow you to walk the Commons but I don't care whether you're Grey Wardens or not. I will have peace!"

Bridget nodded.

"You have nothing to fear, I hope to help you keep that peace, even." She replied.

The captain crossed his arms.

"Well, that's not something I've heard in quite some time." He said thoughtfully.

Bridget smiled. The dwarf rubbed his eyes tiredly and shook his head.

"I assume you want help with your surface problems, right?"

Alistair nodded.

"We need the assistance of the dwarves against the Blight." He stated.

The captain shrugged.

"Well as you can see we have no king, and you would need one of those to help you. You can try joining in the screaming match at the Assembly, but I doubt that'll get you anywhere."

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"Are those two men that were here earlier the ones in running to be king?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Yes. If you want to speak to Bhelen, you'll have to go through his second, Vartag Gavorn, he's in the Assembly. If you want to speak to Harrowmont though, you'll need to find his right hand, Dulin. He is currently at Harrowmont's estate. You will have to speak to him before gaining an audience with Harrowmont."

Bridget nodded.

"I see, thank you for all of your help."

The captain nodded.

"You are welcome, though I do not know how much luck you will have."

Bridget walked away from him and turned to look at the others.

"It seems like we have our work cut out for us…again." She said.

The others nodded slowly. After a moment of thinking over who to decide to speak to, Bridget finally came to the conclusion that she would go and see Dulin, for Harrowmont. Something about Bhelen didn't settle well with her.

"Okay, we're going to go and see Dulin, I think. Who wants to come along?"

Not to her surprise, Alistair and Zevran quickly said that they would accompany her. Morrigan complained of the stuffiness of the entire place and wanted to return to the surface, Leliana actually opted out of going as well. Zeus playfully pounced at Bridget's feet, making Wynne chuckle.

"I believe your hound wishes to accompany you. I'll return to the surface and keep an eye on these two. If you need us, you need only to send word."

Bridget thanked her and turned back to everyone else as they exited the Commons.

"Let's go see if we can settle this matter quickly." She stated.

But of course, the matter of who became king would not be an easy one to settle, and Bridget led the others into another long quest to gain the last of their allies.

A/N: _I apologize for not updating in a whole week! My classes have really been grinding me as I'm nearing the end of the semester. Because of that, I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to update. As I said before I will see this story through to the end, but I may not be able to update as frequently as I have been before. Thank you for your continued support, it is much appreciated! Anyway, I hope you all liked the chapter, and there will hopefully be more along the way soon!_


	37. Chapter 36: Meeting Dulin

Chapter 36

Meeting Dulin

Unfortunately for Bridget and the others, the helpful captain was right, they were refused entry into the Assembly, as another dwarf had stated that they were currently deadlocked and could not tolerate, or except for that matter, any outside influence. Bridget led the others back outside into the stuffy air and pushed some of her hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ears.

"Great…now what do we do?" Alistair asked.

Bridget looked at them and sighed.

"Well, I guess we should go and see this Dulin that the captain mentioned. It seems like we'll have to help Harrowmont gain the throne if we want the dwarves to help us with the Blight." She stated.

Alistair rubbed the back of his neck.

"So much for being an optimist…" he mumbled.

After asking for some more directions, Bridget led her friends to Lord Harrowmont's estate. They walked up to the large stone doorway and were stopped by some more guards.

"State your business, surfacer." One of them ordered.

Bridget looked down at him and replied,

"I wish to speak to Dulin, to help Lord Harrowmont."

The two guards exchanged glances with each other, and Bridget saw flickers of hope in their eyes. Apparently, things for Harrowmont were not going very smoothly. They removed their axes barricading the doors and stepped to the side.

"Very well, you may enter."

Bridget led the way and stepped into Harrowmont's estate. The foyer was quite large, a fire was alive in the nearby fireplace, keeping the room nice and toasty. A few servants were scattered about here and there, scrubbing the floors and polishing the silver and golden knickknacks that decorated the walls. An older dwarf approached them.

"Can I help you, serah?" he asked politely.

Bridget smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I'd like to speak to Dulin, if I may. I wish to help Lord Harrowmont in the Assembly."

The butler raised his eyebrows.

"Very well, I shall get him at once."

Bridget nodded and watched as he turned and walked off down the hallway. Alistair walked up next to her and sighed.

"So, what do you think we'll have to do this time?" he mumbled.

She shrugged.

"There is _no_ telling. Ugh…I can't imagine it'll be anything easy, it never is."

Alistair chuckled.

"Quite true, quite true."

Bridget turned her gaze from him and eyed Zevran who was discreetly slipping a silver bar into his pack. Bridget gaped at him.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Zevran looked at her and shrugged.

"What? This man is obviously going to be king if you have anything to say about it, he will have more riches come his way, I'm sure he won't even notice this lovely little piece of silver missing."

Alistair shook his head.

"You're impossible, you know that?" he asked.

Zevran grinned.

"Indeed I do."

Bridget coughed lightly to bring their attention back to the task at hand as the butler emerged from a side room, with who Bridget assumed was Dulin. He walked up to them and smiled.

"Greetings, I had caught wind that there was a Grey Warden amongst us. My name is Dulin, Lord Harrowmont's right hand, if you would. It is an honor to meet you."

Bridget nodded.

"And you as well, Dulin. I have been made aware of Orzammar's condition, and with what I witnessed back in the Commons, I believe your lord Harrowmont is more suited to run this kingdom." She said as formally as she could muster.

Dulin brightened.

"I am pleased to hear you say that, Grey Warden. If you would follow me so that we may confer in private."

Bridget and the others followed Dulin out of the foyer and into the accompanying library. He sat them down at a long table and folded his hands in front of his face.

"As you can see, Orzammar is in dire straits at the moment. I am glad that you agree that Lord Harrowmont is the rightful king, it is as Endrin wished. However, he cannot meet with you…yet."

Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Why is that?" she asked.

Dulin looked around and lowered his voice.

"Lord Harrowmont is not willing to give his trust out so easily. Many have already betrayed him. He is skeptical that you will fully commit to helping him, that is why you must prove yourself, in a sense." He stated.

Bridget looked at the others uneasily.

"I'm not going to be sent on some wild nug chase, am I?" she asked slowly.

Dulin chuckled and shook his head.

"Well, I cannot say what Lord Harrowmont may ask of you once you have proven yourself, but what I am about to tell you is not a wild nug chase, I assure you." He replied.

Alistair let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's good." He said.

Zeus thought so too as he barked happily and wagged his tail. Bridget nodded.

"Alright then, what must I do to meet with Harrowmont?"

Dulin stood and walked towards the back of the room, and withdrew a book from the nearby shelf. He returned to them not a moment later and placed the book on the table.

"Back in ancient times, dwarves proved themselves worthy by competing in the Proving, a test of strength, cunning, and willpower." Dulin began.

He opened the large book which Bridget guessed was a detailed history of Orzammar and paused once he reached his desired page. He turned the book around for the others to view, and on it was an illustration of two dwarves in a large arena, preparing to battle each other to gain an audience with a higher official.

"This is how Harrowmont will know that your allegiance lies with him. You must go to the Proving Grounds and fight in his name, against Bhelen's men. Do this, and Lord Harrowmont will accept an audience with you."

Bridget raised her eyebrows as she scanned over the illustrations on the page. After a moment, she nodded her head and sat back in her chair.

"Very well, I will do this." She stated.

Dulin smiled warmly.

"I hear confidence in your voice, I have no doubt that you will succeed."

Alistair leaned forward and asked,

"Did Harrowmont have no other champions?"

Dulin's smile faded and he looked at his feet.

"He did, but they dropped out of the Proving."

Zevran raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Men should always feel the need to raise their swords to protect the name of their master."

Dulin looked up and replied,

"I suspect Bhelen had something to do with it, blackmail or who knows what else. They may still be at the Proving; perhaps you can persuade them to take up their arms once more?"

Bridget stood.

"I will try, if I see them. What are their names?"

"Baizyl and Gwiddon were Harrowmont's former champions. Once you gain Lord Harrowmont's trust, I have no doubt that he will allow you and your friends shelter here, in his home."

Alistair brightened.

"If we've got nice comfy beds waiting for us, let's get a move on!" he exclaimed.

Bridget chuckled.

"Thank you for all you help Dulin, I will return as soon as I have completed the trials at the Proving. Do you have any idea who I will be fighting against?" she asked.

Dulin shook his head.

"I'm afraid not…you should be able to ask the Proving Master, however. He will have all the answers. I wish you luck, friend. I will tell Lord Harrowmont of your quest. Once finished, meet me at Tapster's, the tavern in the Commons. From their, I will lead you back here to meet Harrowmont."

Bridget nodded.

"Sounds like a plan."

They bid farewell to Dulin and headed back towards the Commons. Zevran shook his head.

"I wonder why this Harrowmont does not fight his own battles. It's rather cowardly if you ask me."

Alistair raised an eyebrow.

"Weren't you just saying to Dulin how Harrowmont's men should 'take up their arms'?"

Zevran opened his mouth to reply, but chuckled instead.

"That is true, though I only said that as to not upset him. I just find it odd that he will not fight for his own name."

Bridget shrugged.

"He is rather old…maybe he doesn't have the strength anymore." She offered.

Zevran waved his hand.

"That could be true, ah but let's get to this Proving shall we? I feel like letting off some steam on some unsuspecting foes."

Bridget smirked.

"Don't go in underestimating them now, Zevran. You know that got you into trouble last time."

Zevran cackled and looked at her.

"That is very true, but I would say that it was good trouble, wouldn't you?"

Bridget grinned and looped her arm between Zevran's and Alistair's.

"Indeed. Let's go and become champions!"

Though, of course the Proving would be far more difficult than any of them could have imagined.

A/N: _I'm sorry for the short chapter guys! The next one will be much longer! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)_


	38. Chapter 37: Proving Worthy

Chapter 37

Proving Worthy

Upon entering the Proving, Bridget could already hear the screaming fans waiting to see the fights that were to take place. She looked around and noticed that some of the dwarves that she guessed were fighting in the arena were hanging around, waiting for their name to be called. Zeus wagged his tail playfully and bounced around, hoping to get the attention of some of the other competitors, but nobody paid him any mind. Bridget scratched his ears.

"Don't worry boy, once we're back on the surface, we'll play fetch!" she exclaimed.

He barked happily and set about to scratching himself behind his ear. Bridget stood and looked around. She noticed a man standing off in the distance wearing nobleman clothing and decided that he must be the Proving Master. She and the others approached him. He looked up at them.

"Ah you here to watch the fights, we've got some really good ones today! Just step through that door over there and find you a nice seat in the stands." He stated.

Bridget shook her head.

"Um, We're not here to watch, we're here to fight in lord Harrowmont's name." she stated.

The Proving Master raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Well…alright then. All of you can't enter though; you will have to fight these battles alone. Only when you are in a fight under certain circumstances can you bring in others." He replied.

Alistair's eyes widened.

"You mean Bridget will have to go alone?" he asked.

The dwarf nodded.

"I'm afraid so. She looks like she can handle herself though if you ask me…"

Bridget turned to Alistair and smiled.

"I'll be fine." She said.

Alistair sighed.

"I just don't want you to get hurt…what if those dwarves are really big?" he asked.

The Proving Master raised an eyebrow.

"Are you blind? We're all the same height!" he exclaimed.

Alistair placed a hand to his forehead and shook his head.

"No that's not what I meant, what I meant to say is,"

Alistair didn't get to finish his sentence as Bridget had placed her lips to his. She moved her mouth over his slowly and pulled away, raising her eyebrows.

"Surely you have more confidence in me than that."

Alistair honestly had forgotten where the conversation was going after her kiss, so he nodded and smiled.

"I do, you know that. Just…when you can call somebody else in, let it be me, okay?"

Bridget nodded.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Are you two quite done?"

They both turned to see the Proving Master tapping his foot impatiently. Bridget blushed slightly and giggled.

"Er, yes. Before we begin though…do you know where I may find Baizyl and Gwiddon? She asked.

The dwarf pointed to the left side of the large room.

"Baizyl's right over there, Gwiddon is somewhere through that doorway over there, saw him go through a while ago. When you're ready to begin, just come back and talk to me."

Bridget nodded.

"Thank you for all of your help." She replied with a smile.

She led the others off to the side and approached the man that the Proving Master identified as Baizyl. Bridget's smile faded as she laid her eyes on him. For some reason, Baizyl looked down right terrified, worry filled his deep brown eyes. It was no surprise that he was rather hostile when she tried to speak to him.

"Look I know why you're here, but I just _cannot_ fight in the Proving." He said.

Bridget looked at him.

"I'm not here to try and bully you into something you don't want to do, Baizyl. I assume that Prince Bhelen had something to do with your dropping out of the competition?" she asked in a whisper.

Baizyl looked up at her and cast his eyes around the room before he nodded his head slowly.

"The blighted bastard had one of his lackeys blackmail me into dropping out…it's kind of complicated."

Bridget chuckled softly and crossed her arms.

"You wouldn't be the first person with a complicated problem I've met, trust me." She said.

Baizyl turned back to her and sighed.

"I guess I can trust you…alright, I was in love with this girl, a lesser cousin of Bhelen's, she had no direct line to the throne. Being that she is an Adeucan, however, she's expected to marry well…and she did but we ah…well…let's just say the marriage hasn't stopped us from seeing each other."

Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"Ooh, getting some on the side are we?"

Bridget elbowed him to be quiet.

"How are you being blackmailed?" she asked.

Baizyl dropped his voice even lower and replied,

"Bhelen does not yet know, but one of his lackeys, Myaja has our love letters, love letters that my love sent to me. If…if it is discovered that we…they will most likely either kill her or strip her of her caste…" he said in anguish.

Bridget placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Baizyl. I will help you." She whispered.

Baizyl looked up at her, and Bridget could see the ghost of tears held in his eyes.

"T-Thank you…I do not know what to say…"

Bridget shook her head.

"Don't worry about it for now, I'll be back shortly."

Baizyl thanked her once more and explained that the letters were most likely in Myaja's chest, hidden behind a locked door. Thankfully they had Zevran with them and he made quick work of the lock and easily slipped inside while Bridget, Alistair, and Zeus waited outside, making sure no one else would enter. Zevran returned moments later, discreetly slipping the folded letters into Bridget's hand. She tucked him away and quickly headed back towards Baizyl. Upon returning to him and handing him the letters, relief washed over his entire form. He sighed happily and stuffed the letters into his pocket.

"Thank you, Warden. I will gladly fight for lord Harrowmont…he chose very well."

Bridget smiled.

"I could not turn away a man in love." She replied softly.

Before Baizyl left, Bridget placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Actually…do you think you can help me convince Gwiddon to rejoin you in the battles?"

Baizyl nodded.

"After everything you've done for me, it would be an honor."

Gwiddon was a hard nut to crack. Apparently he had heard from a "reliable source" that Bhelen was the way to go. Thankfully for Bridget she was very persuasive and had brought Baizlyn to tag along. Soon enough he was convinced that Harrowmont was the right man to rule and decided to take up his arms once more. Eventually Bridget made her way back to the Proving Master and he signed her name on the roster.

"The fight will begin in a few minutes. You're friends can take seats in the stands, if they wish."

Zevran led Zeus towards the door leading out to the stands, but Alistair remained. Bridget looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

He smiled at her and bent his forehead to hers.

"You know, you have the ability to make everyone around you fall in love with you." He stated.

Bridget smirked.

"Oh? I do, do I?" she asked.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Indeed, the way Baizyl looked at you after you helped him, I thought he was going to kiss you!"

She raised an eyebrow and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Would that have made you jealous?" she asked, a smile curving her plump lips.

Alistair kissed her softly again.

"So _very_ jealous."

Bridget giggled as he kissed her once more before pulling away.

"Just be careful…okay?"

She nodded.

"I always am. Don't worry, Alistair. I'm going to win this thing and then you may ravish me in celebration afterwards, after all we'll finally have a bed again."

Alistair blushed.

"Well, it'll certainly be a welcomed change from the cold hard ground that we've been used to for a while."

Before Bridget could reply, Zevran appeared out of nowhere and dragged Alistair away.

"Come now lover boy, let the lady do her business so we can get out of here!" he exclaimed.

Bridget giggled as she watched Zevran drag Alistair back towards the stands. She followed the directions that the Proving Master gave her and descended the steps into the arena. Bridget's eyes widened as she stepped into the large area. Torches were lit on all sides, casting the arena's floor in a orange and red hue. She looked up high above her to see all the many denizens of Orzammar cheering in the stands, eager to watch this new opponent. Bridget watched as the Proving Mater stepped up on a large stone plate that overlooked the stands and the arena. Once everyone saw him, the cheering diminished, somewhat and everyone eagerly listened to what he had to say.

"People of Orzammar, today we witness two opposing forces, those for Bhelen and those for Harrowmont. Who will the Ancestors bestow their favor on?"

Bridget lifted her head high and stood straight as her first opponent walked out. The Proving Master introduced him.

"Fighting in honor of Prince Bhelen is Seweryn, a man who bested his own father at twelve years old. Against him for Lord Harrowmont is the Grey Warden! These fights will not be to the death. The first person who falls loses…begin!"

Luckily for Bridget, Seweryn was a warrior and apparently, warrior training for dwarves was no different than warrior training tactics studied on the surface. They circled each other for a moment before Seweryn swung his blade in a horizontal slash, which Bridget dodged by jumping backwards and landing swiftly on her feet. Seweryn narrowed his eyes.

"You should get out of here, Warden before you become on of Harrowmont's puppets. I can already see him above you, pulling the strings to your will." He spat.

Bridget cut her eyes at him, but made no comment back. She found it rather pointless to argue back and forth about who was the rightful king while they were trying to fight each other. He attacked again and his blade scraped up against Bridget's armor, but thankfully it didn't go through. His momentary stagger after that one small blow, however, was when Bridget saw an opening. She bashed him with her father's shield three times…and Seweryn fell over, knocked out cold. Several gasps were heard throughout the stalls before the crowd erupted in cheers and hoots. The Proving Master's voice bellowed out,

"The winner is the Grey Warden!"

Bridget blew some stray strands of her hair out of her face and smiled. She made her way back out of the arena and up the stairs once more, where Alistair greeted her with a strong hug.

"That was great! You did wonderful!"

The Proving Master shuffled into sight and said,

"Don't thank her yet, boy. She's still got five fights to go through!"

Bridget pulled out of Alistair's embrace and gaped at him.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

The dwarf looked up at her, an un-amused and bland look on his face.

"Does it _look_ like I'm joking?"

Unfortunately for Bridget, the Proving Master was indeed, not joking. The battles that ensued seemed to get tougher each round. However in one of her battles she was allowed to bring in another fighter, so just as she promised, she chose Alistair. Together they fought off Lord Darvianak Volney and Olaniv, two generals for Bhelen. If Bridget had not had the option to bring in another fighter, she had a feeling that she may have lost that battle. Darvianak was relenting, slashing his battle axe in a mad fury. Bridget guessed he was a berserker. The battle was rather lengthy but eventually she and Alistair were named the champions. The very last battle was a full squad on squad. They would be going up against Bhelen's cousin, Piotin and his lackeys. At this point Bridget was getting tired, and rather angry that she had to fight _all_ these people. Though she wasn't about to complain. This was how things were done in Orzammar, and she respected that. Zeus wasted no time in pouncing on one of Piotin's men, tearing at his armor and clawing at any skin that was visible. Zevran's swift movements allowed him to quickly evade attacks, and then surprise his opponent from behind. Alistair and Bridget once again went head first into their attacks, bashing their shields one minute and slicing their swords through the air the next. Finally, Piotin was the last to fall as Bridget put all her strength into that final bash with her shield. He fell at her feet, sending a cloud of dirt up in the air as he made contact with the ground. Bridget breathed heavily, completely exhausted and rather sore. She would need Wynne to heal an injury to her arm as one of Piotin's men had cut through her armor and her blood was now running down the length of her arm to her fingertips. The Proving Master declared Bridget and her party the victors and stated that the Ancestors had bestowed their favor on Harrowmont. She led the others tiredly out of the Proving and back towards the Commons.

"Should I go and get the others to meet us at Harrowmont's?" Zevran offered.

Bridget nodded as she stood on the bridge connecting the Proving to the Commons. Alistair pulled some bandages out of his pack and wrapped up her arm.

"At least that'll stop the bleeding for now." He said.

Bridget nodded.

"You know, it didn't hurt that much when it happened but it feels like it's on fire right now."

Alistair's eyes widened.

"You don't think they could've laced their weapons with poison…do you?"

Bridget looked up at him.

"Sounds like something Bhelen would have them do, the bastard." She hissed.

Alistair placed his bandages back in his pack.

"Let's go and find Dulin quickly then so we can get you back to Harrowmont's and in Wynne's care."

Bridget nodded and she and Alistair wrangled Zeus and headed towards Tapster's. Just like he said, Dulin was there and was having a celebratory cup of ale to commemorate Bridget's win in the Proving. After she explained her need to get back to the estate though, he became serious and led them out of the tavern. Before they left however, Bridget caught another dwarf with deep red hair and a bearded red mustache staring at her. He looked as if he wanted to ask her something, but instead he looked down into his mug and threw his head back, downing all his ale at once. Bridget shook her head and turned her attention back to Dulin. She was beginning to feel a little lightheaded, which wasn't a good sign.

The sooner they got back to Harrowmont's, the better.

_**A/N **__Ugh this chapter was really tough to write. I'm not the biggest fan of Orzammar…if you can tell xD Anyways, next chapter Bridget finally meets with Harrowmont before he sends her on another long and tedious quest. Anyways, until next time! :)_


	39. Chapter 38: Harrowmont

Chapter 38

Harrowmont

To Bridget it seemed like the walk through the Commons and the Diamond Quarter took entirely too long. At long last though they finally arrived and once inside, they discovered Zevran had already returned with the rest of their party. As soon as Leliana set her eyes on Bridget, she stood quickly and hurried over to her.

"You've been poisoned!" she exclaimed.

Bridget nodded woozily and blinked her eyes. Suddenly she was seeing doubles of everything in the room, and all of the colors had become increasingly enhanced, making it difficult to look at them. Alistair caught her in his arms as she stumbled slightly. He looked up at Leliana worriedly.

"We have to do something!" he exclaimed.

Leliana nodded. She turned as Wynne approached them, followed by the elderly dwarf from the Commons who Alistair assumed was Harrowmont.

"I have spare rooms for all of you. Follow me and I will lead you to one of them."

Alistair helped Bridget walk down the hallway and noticed that she was grunting in pain with each step.

"I…my legs feel so stiff…"

Alistair lifted her in the air when she said that and carried her the rest of the way to the room. Harrowmont led them into a fairly large room with a four poster bed in it's center. Alistair placed Bridget on the cool bedclothes and stepped to the side as Leliana and Wynne began to unwrap her bandages. Leliana surprised them all when she sighed in relief.

"This is just a simple temporary paralysis poison…no lasting effects will occur. With Wynne's healing, we should be able to get it all out of her system."

Alistair let out his breath he didn't realize he was holding and slumped into a nearby chair.

"Thank the Maker."

Harrowmont placed his hands behind his back.

"I am glad to hear that she will be alright, and I am sorry that this occurred. This sort of trick is not allowed in the Proving…I will inform the Proving Master of this straight away. From now on, all weapons will be thoroughly examined before each fight." He stated.

Wynne whispered an incantation under her breath and her hands erupted in the soft blue glow of her healing magic. She hovered her hands over Bridget's body, streaming her magic through her entire form. Harrowmont walked towards the door.

"As soon as she is ready, I have a feast prepared for us all. We may then discuss our future plans. Let the Warden know however that her rest and well being are the top priority."

Alistair smiled. He rather liked this Harrowmont fellow. Harrowmont exited the room, as did Leliana. Wynne continued to stream her magic through Bridget's form until a small smile crept across her face. She extinguished her hands and stood.

"She'll be alright now, she's fell asleep throughout all this…the poor dear. Bridget must have pushed herself to her limit; I think that is why this very simple poison had such a strong effect on her."

Wynne walked past Alistair and patted him on his shoulder.

"Why don't you use that wash basin over there to get cleaned up, you're covered in dirt and blood." She said as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Alistair decided that was a probably good idea…but he didn't want to leave Bridget's side. He removed his armor at least and set it up against the far wall. He turned and realized Bridget was still in her filthy armor as well and carefully removed hers so she could rest more comfortably in her tunic and leggings. After about half an hour of waiting, Alistair decided that he may as well go ahead and wash up. He blushed furiously at his selfish wish that Bridget would wake up and join him in his bath. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately though, she did not. It wasn't until Alistair sat in a clean pair of clothes that she did finally wake. He pulled his chair closer to the bed as she drew her brows together and groaned. Alistair released a sigh of relief.

"Oh I'm so glad you're awake. How do you feel?" he asked softly as he rubbed tiny circles into the palm of her hand.

Bridget closed her eyes shut tight and slowly turned her head to him. With her eyes still closed, she replied,

"Like a pile of dragon dung."

Alistair chuckled as he poured her a glass of water from the pitcher on the night stand. Bridget opened her eyes and sat up slowly, taking the goblet Alistair offered her and sipped at the cool water before finally drinking it all. After a moment of resting her head back against the headboard, Bridget asked,

"So, did Harrowmont meet with you?"

Alistair shook his head.

"No, not yet. He wanted to wait for you and made it clear to us that you shouldn't meet with him until you are absolutely certain you feel up to it. He's prepared a feast for us though, so I assume we'll discuss what will come next during dinner."

Bridget's stomach growled loudly and she laughed. Alistair smiled warmly as he saw that familiar spark of hers come back to her eyes.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving! I think I feel okay enough to go, and I think I'll feel a lot better once I eat something. Ugh I could really go for a massage…"

Alistair looked at her and felt heat climb up the back of his neck. He raised his eyebrow and lifted her hand, gently placing a kiss to her hand and whispered,

"Well…Zevran has taught me some of his massage techniques…"

Bridget looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds rather interesting." She replied, suppressing a giggle.

Alistair grinned sheepishly at her.

"Perhaps after we eat and confer with Harrowmont I can give you one?"

Bridget leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth.

"I think that's an _excellent _idea." She whispered in his ear.

Her breath sent a welcome tremble down his spine and Alistair found himself hoping that dinner and talking to Harrowmont would not take up too much time. He gave her some privacy as she took her bath and roamed the halls of the estate. Zevran was lazily leaning against the wall that lead into the foyer, absentmindedly scratching Zeus's ears. Upon noticing Alistair, Zevran nodded towards him and asked,

"How is she?"

Alistair sighed happily and tucked his hands in his pockets.

"She's fine, thank the Maker."

Zevran breathed a sigh of relief. Alistair blushed and walked closer to him, looking around and dropping his voice so that no one else would hear him.

"Actually I um…I was wondering if I could borrow those bottles of oil you mentioned, you know, for the massage."

Zevran grinned sneakily at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh finally decided to take my advice about spicing up your love life eh? Good for you, I'm sure Bridget is going to love not being the one doing all the work for once."

Alistair turned a deeper shade of red.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?!" he asked.

Zevran cackled and crossed his arms.

"At camp there is a fire, yes? And fire makes shadows…my point being that with that knowledge and our paper thin tents you see…anyone sitting around the camp fire and looking in your tent's direction can tell that Bridget rides you like a bucking bull."

If Alistair's jaw could've unhooked itself from his face, he was sure it would have landed somewhere in the Deep Roads. He knew his blush must've increased tenfold over that last comment. Zevran chuckled once more before placing a hand on Alistair's shoulder and shaking his head.

"Ah Alistair, you never fail to amuse me. Don't worry, when you and Bridget return to your room after this feast, you will find all you need on the nightstand."

Alistair somehow managed to mumble a 'thank you' before walking off to join the others. Leliana stepped around the corner and shook her head disapprovingly at Zevran.

"Why must you tease him so? Can't you see how red his face is?"

Zevran shrugged.

"What can I say, it's my favorite way to annoy him and it's just hilarious to watch his facial expressions!" he exclaimed.

Soon enough the preparations were completed and everyone sat at the long dining table in Harrowmont's large dining room. Harrowmont sat at one end of the long table and his wife, Armerya sat at the other end. The rest of the table was filled with Bridget and her companions. As the butler dipped everyone some meat and potatoes, Harrowmont looked at Bridget and bowed his head.

"I am pleased to hear that you are well, Bridget. I had a feeling you would make it through, however. The Ancestors have smiled kindly on you."

Bridget smiled and shook her head as she tore her bread in half and dipped it into her gravy.

"No Lord Harrowmont, they smile upon you."

Harrowmont cut into his meat and smiled warmly at her.

"They certainly did when they chose to send you to me…however, I am still behind in favor in the Assembly. I do not understand why no one believes me…"

Alistair looked up from his food and asked,

"Why did Bhelen's father choose you to succeed him instead of his own son?"

Harrowmont looked up at him as he took a sip from his goblet.

"Endrin always knew Bhelen was a bad rock, if you will. Ever since that boy was young he's been ruthless in everything he does, and doesn't stop until others bend to his way. He has blackmailed others, forced to find some way for certain citizens to be stripped of their caste…he even murdered his own brother for the throne."

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"He killed his own brother?" she asked in disbelief.

Harrowmont nodded grimly.

"Yes, it was during a Proving match…that was before the Assembly changed the rules. Bhelen's brother would have made an excellent king; he was like a younger version of Endrin himself! Bhelen feared that when Endrin died, he would leave the throne to his younger brother…that is why he challenged him to a Proving match."

Bridget took a sip of her water and swallowed down the cool liquid. She determined that from everything that Harrowmont was telling her that she had chosen the right man. Harrowmont looked down into his plate of food and sighed.

"In Endrin's last breath he made me promise not to let Orzammar fall into Bhelen's hands…he said then that we would all be doomed."

Zevran leaned back and patted his stomach.

"If you'll excuse me," he began as he stood, "I find myself incredibly worn after the day's events. I will retire to my room now."

He discreetly winked at Alistair to let him know that he would place the vials in his room…and merrily pranced off to do that, and add a few other things as well…

Bridget listened carefully to Harrowmont as he explained what he needed to happen to gain a stronger favor in the Assembly. He talked of a woman named Jarvia and of the Carta she was heading in Dust Town. If she was taken out, Harrowmont stated that he would have a greater voice in the Assembly and would be that much closer to being named king. Bridget really didn't want to have to take out an entire Carta, and found it odd that Harrowmont would not send any of his own men to do it…but agreed to help him anyway. Dinner soon diminished and everyone retired to their rooms. Bridget slipped her hand in Alistair's and walked with him down the hall.

"You still up for that massage?" he asked softly.

Bridget grinned.

"Did you even have to ask?" she replied as they stepped into their room.

Both Bridget and Alistair stopped abruptly as they stared at the surrounding area. Alistair felt heat rise to his face. Sure enough the special oils that Zevran had said were a "must" were sitting on the nightstand…but the elf had apparently decided that it was a good idea to scatter rose petals about the room as well. Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Well…this certainly has Zevran written all over it." She laughed.

Alistair rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. Bridget walked over to inspect the various vials of oil that rested on the nightstand and began to unbutton her shirt as she did so.

"Ooh some of these oils smell amazing!" she exclaimed as she removed her shirt and small top before climbing into the bed with new sheets, Alistair noticed. She laid down on her stomach and rested her head against the pillow.

"Ready when you are!" she said eagerly.

Alistair chuckled at her enthusiasm and joined her on the bed. He plucked the reddish tinted vial and poured some of the warm liquid into his hands, just as Zevran had explained. The sweet smell of coconut filled the air. Bridget took a deep breath of it and sighed happily. She loved that scent. Alistair rubbed his hands together and was about to begin to massage her soft skin before he realized he wasn't in a very good position to reach all of her pressure points, as he sat on his knees by her side. Alistair blushed and moved over her, straddling her back side. Bridget opened an eye and he saw a sly grin spread across her face.

"Zevran teach you that too?" she asked.

Alistair chuckled.

"Nope, this one was all me." He stated.

Bridget giggled and sighed complacently as Alistair lowered his hands to her back. She closed her eyes as she relaxed against the feel of his hands rubbing up and down her back slowly, gently rubbing away all the knots and kinks she felt in her muscles. Alistair concentrated on rubbing out all of the knots he felt…but soon after he began, he placed soft kisses against her back. Bridget seemed to like that as he heard her sigh again, so Alistair continued to shower her back in his kisses, sometimes even ever so gently letting his teeth graze her skin. Obviously the massage didn't last very long as Bridget turned over and wrapped her arms around Alistair's neck. He kissed her deeply and savored the moment, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close… Alistair had been so frightened earlier that he would lose her because of the poison…and realized just then how easily they could be killed. As they continued to kiss he vowed to himself that he wouldn't let anything happen to Bridget, even if it meant sacrificing himself. They were going to make it through this Blight together, he just knew it…

_xXx_

After their round of…'caboodling' as Alistair liked to call it, Bridget rested her head against his chest as she felt her eyelids grow heavy…but Alistair wasn't going to let her sleep just yet.

"I-I'm curious about something." He asked.

Bridget lifted her head and looked at him.

"And what would that be, my love?" she asked, her voice still a little husky.

Alistair felt his face flush as he responded with,

"Do you get any pleasure when you um…when you're…?"

Bridget quirked her brow and said,

"When I'm on top?"

Alistair chuckled.

"To put it bluntly, yes." He replied.

Bridget kissed him lightly and traced some the scars on his chest with the tips of her fingers.

"Of course I do, why wouldn't I?"

Alistair shrugged, rather embarrassed.

"Well…your face…_you_ in general seemed to be more pleased when you are beneath me…"

Bridget giggled.

"Well darling, if you kept your eyes open whenever I'm atop you, you would realize that I am enjoying it just as much as you are."

She smiled at his rosy cheeks.

"I…I close my eyes?"

Bridget nodded.

"Yes, among...other things. I won't go into detail to spare you the embarrassment. Honestly I didn't realize I brought _you_ so much pleasure."

Alistair laughed.

"Oh please Bridget, you know I can barely contain myself around you. I can hardly wait till the nighttime when we're out there traveling!"

Bridget looked up from the spot on his neck she had been kissing and grinned.

"I love you, Alistair. Although I still don't care for how I ended up at Ostagar…I thank the Maker for letting me meet you."

Alistair caressed the side of her face.

"I love you too, Bridget. Always." He whispered.

Bridget snuggled up close to Alistair and closed her eyes, letting sleep engulf her and for once, her dreams were not nightmares.


	40. Chapter 39: The Carta

Chapter 39

The Carta

Bridget slowly opened her eyes and yawned. She rolled over on her side to find Alistair still asleep next to her, slightly snoring just a bit. She smiled at him and snuggled up next to her. After all, if he wasn't awake yet, why should she get up? Unfortunately for Bridget though, the moment she rested her head on Alistair's chest was the moment his eyes fluttered open. He looked down at her and smirked.

"I don't want to go either." He said, sleep still thick in his voice.

Bridget looked up at him and kissed him softly.

"After this whole Blight business is finished, _we_ need a vacation." She mumbled.

Alistair chuckled.

"And where shall we go? We've pretty much been all over Fereldan as it is."

Bridget tipped her head to the side.

"Well, Leliana's always talking about how pretty Orlais is…"

Alistair made a face.

"Yes…it is beautiful if you can put up with all the stuck up nobles."

Bridget giggled.

"Oh yes, I had forgotten about _them_."

She placed another soft kiss to the wing of his nose and sat up.

"I guess we really should be going…"

Alistair sat as well, but instead of getting out of the bed, he placed a soft kiss to Bridget's shoulder while taking in a deep breath of her skin. It still smelled like coconut. Bridget looked over her shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You know, every time I say we need to get ready to do something, you _always_ try and distract me."

Alistair looked up at her.

"Is it working?" he mumbled into her shoulder.

Bridget smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

Alistair grinned as he pulled Bridget back to the bed and rolled over her, nuzzling her neck and running his hand down her arm. Bridget smiled and leaned into Alistair's kisses, pressing her body closer to his and giggling softly.

"That tickles you know!" she whispered.

Alistair lifted his head and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"All part of my master plan to keep you in here all day and let the others deal with Harrowmont's problems."

Bridget rubbed her nose up against his.

"Well I must say, your plan is working quite well, so far because now I really don't want to leave."

Before Alistair could reply, the door to their room swung open to reveal no one other that Zevran. Alistair quickly pulled the sheet almost entirely over Bridget's head to keep Zevran from staring at her with that lurid gaze of his.

"Do you _mind_?" Alistair exclaimed, his face engulfed in a fearsome blush.

Zevran held up his hands.

"My apologies to you and our lovely warden both, but can you please control your urges for just a little while? I for one want to get out of this over sized rock as quickly as possible and Morrigan is in the foyer throwing a tantrum as we speak. Let's get a move on so we can get out of here, yes?"

"Why couldn't you have told us that _through_ the door?"

Zevran grinned slyly and tipped his head to the side.

"Oh come now Alistair, did you really think I would pass up any chance I would have of glimpsing our fearless leader in her skivvies, or in this case nothing at all?"

All Bridget heard next was something metal hit the far wall and Zevran cackling in return. Alistair didn't let her out from underneath the blanket until after Bridget distinctively heard the click of the door closing before Alistair pulled the blanket from over her head.

"You know, I really hate him sometimes."

Bridget giggled and kissed him softly.

"You see, if you had listened to me in the first place we wouldn't have been intruded on, now would we?"

Alistair sighed in defeat and nodded.

"I suppose you're right. Very well, I shall listen to you from now on." He replied with a smile.

Soon enough they were both dressed in their armor and ready to face whatever the Carta had to throw at them. Bridget rallied the rest of her party together, bringing Zevran and Morrigan along (Morrigan only wanted to tag along so she could let her frustration out on anyone that crossed her path) and left for Dust Town. Upon entering the homely section of Orzammar, they were ambushed by a couple of bandits who obviously had not heard anything about the Proving matches that Bridget had won. Needless to say they made quick work of them and headed further into Dust Town. After trading a few silver pieces for some information, Bridget discovered that the only way to get into the Carta was by using a finger bone key. The dwarf that helped them discreetly pointed to a dilapidated house and informed them that that was where some of the members met on a regular basis. Bridget thanked the woman that helped them and led the others to the house that she mentioned. Upon entering, they were attacked by who Bridget guessed was the captain of the small squadron that was held up in the house.

"Wait, wait!" the captain cried after Bridget and her party had taken care of his lackeys.

"I can get you into the Carta! Here, take my key, it's yours it's all yours!"

Bridget took the key from him and placed it around her neck. The dwarf looked up at her.

"Will you let me go…?"

Zevran stepped forward brandishing his daggers.

"Allow me to make is simple for you, no." he said and before the captain had any chance of defending himself, he fell back with a dagger in his chest.

"Well, we've got the key…now what are we going to do about finding the door to get in?" she asked as she led them back outside.

Bridget had hoped that the woman that helped them before could give her assistance once again, but she was already gone. After walking around for a bit, Morrigan called everyone's attention to a suspicious door she had found that was carved into the rock. Bridget felt around and at last came across a small opening. She placed the key in the opening and gave the door a push. It opened slightly, just enough for her and the others to slip inside. Unfortunately for them though, they ended up walking right into a room filled with Carta thugs. When a password was demanded, Bridget just drew her blade and took them all on. Zevran took the liberty of looting nearby chests and the bodies before following Bridget out of the room where she had stopped to take in the surroundings. Bridget sighed and blew a few strands of hair out of her eyes. There were three different routes they could take, forward, left, and right. Bridget opted for the right and before Zevran could warn her, accidentally triggered a trap. More of Jarvia's thugs rushed towards them and fought fearsomely, swinging their battle axes and showing no mercy. They would do anything to keep Jarvia safe. Bridget continued to lead everyone forward…but after what felt like at least an hour and a half, she was quite sure that they were going around in circles.

"I think we've passed by that rock three times now." Alistair stated.

Zevran looked at him.

"You can differentiate rocks? Fascinating, they all look the same to me."

They went through the same motions again, this time though Morrigan left scorch marks on the rocks so that they would know if they had already passed through that area. Luckily with the next turn Bridget made, they were in an area they had not already ventured to and were finally back on track. They were ambushed a few more times but none of the dwarves posed any real threat. Zevran did get his side grazed just a bit which prompted him to ask Morrigan to kiss it better, only receiving a narrow-eyed grimace in return. Alistair shook his head.

"You never give up do you?" he asked.

Zevran grinned.

"There would be no fun in that now, Alistair!" he exclaimed.

They took a moment to rest as Zevran picked the lock of another chest and relieved it of it's contents, making sure to slip the medium sized silver bar for himself in his pocket. Bridget shook her head and smiled at him before turning back around and leading on once again. Finally they stumbled upon who Bridget assumed was Jarvia herself. She had a very tough appearance and Zevran mumbled under his breath that she probably ate small children for breakfast.

"So, you're the one that's been causing all this ruckus…" she spat, cracking her knuckles.

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"Your Carta is done, Jarvia. Give it up, you've got no where else to turn."

Jarvia raised her eyebrows.

"I can smell Harrowmont all over this. Listen pretty girl, shove off and tell Harrowmont I ain't going anywhere. If he wants me gone, he can come and handle me himself like a real king would instead of sending hired muscle."

Bridget gripped her sword in her hand.

"No, this ends here…_you_ end here." She replied.

Jarvia withdrew her axe and narrowed her eyes.

"Kill the others but leave the pretty one for me, I've got some things she can do…"

Bridget was very grateful she brought Morrigan along. She knew how badly she wanted to get out of Orzammar and could tell she put that want to get away in every spell she cast. Firstly, she killed three dwarves on the spot with a lightning storm and then after taking a Lyrium potion she set the place up in flames. Bridget, Alistair, and Zevran took shelter away from her line of fire so that they would not be caught in it and remained there until it was over. Jarvia had taken a substantial amount of damage from the fire storm, and as she tried to regain her strength, Zevran threw a dagger at her and it buried itself in her back. After checking to make sure that she was really dead, Bridget declared the job a success and they were able to find a passageway out of the room. Alistair accidentally triggered some kind of trap because the wall that was nearest to them blew out and revealed a small weapons shop and a startled owner and fleeing customer.

"What in the name of the Ancestors…who are you? Why did you blow a hole in my wall!"

Bridget brushed some of the dirt from the stone off of her and looked at him.

"This actually leads to a passage into Jarvia's Carta."

The dwarf looked flabbergasted.

"What! Oh no…you…I don't have anything to do with the Carta, I swear!"

Bridget nodded.

"I believe you,"

The shop keep shook his head and made his way towards the door.

"I'm getting out of here, make sure everybody knows I had nothing to do with that sodding piece of trash!"

Bridget raised her eyebrows and turned and looked to the others.

"Let's get back to Harrowmont and be done with this place."

Bridget should have realized though that something else would stand in her way of gaining Orzammar's support…

Upon returning to Harrowmont's estate, Bridget relayed the news that she had dealt with Jarvia and her Carta members. He grinned and thanked her, but Bridget could see the hesitation in his eyes. She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side.

"You still don't have any favor, do you?" she asked.

Harrowmont looked up at her and sighed. He motioned for her and her friends to sit in front of his fireplace. They did so as he sat in a chair across from them. Harrowmont rubbed his eyes and looked up at them.

"I must ask for your service once more, my friend."

Bridget could tell Morrigan was about to say something but she bit back her remark and bore her eyes into the nearby wall.

"You know if you stare at that hard enough you might bore a hole into it." Zevran whispered.

"Shut up." Morrigan hissed.

Bridget cleared her throat.

"What must I do this time?" she asked, not meaning to sound annoyed in any way, though she would be lying if she said she wasn't.

Harrowmont ran a hand through his beard and said,

"The Assembly says that they cannot make the decision. One of us must have the voice of a Paragon behind us in order to win."

Alistair drew his brows together.

"I thought all the Paragons were dead." He stated.

Harrowmont shook his head.

"No…there is one left but…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"But…?"

Harrowmont sighed.

"Branka went into the Deep Roads two years ago in search of the Anvil of the Void. She never returned from her expedition…she took her entire House with her well, except for her husband, and none of them came out either."

Morrigan crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"So you are sending us on some wild nug chase through the Deep Roads that are infested with Darkspawn?"

Harrowmont looked into his lap and nodded slowly.

"I am asking that you either bring Branka back if she is alive or a part of her body if she is not. This is the only way the Assembly will choose."

Bridget sighed.

"You are sure that there is no other way that the Assembly will vote?"

Harrowmont nodded.

"Yes, they were quite clear that unless a Paragon was involved somehow they would not be able to make a decision. You see, a Paragon is the closest person we have to our Ancestors, to the Stone…"

Bridget nodded and stood.

"Well, if this is the only way that you can be made king…we will leave in a few hours."

Harrowmont stood and nodded to her.

"Thank you, my friend. I could not have done this with out you."

"That's for sure." Zevran grumbled as he trudged off to his room.

Bridget smiled down at Harrowmont and she and Alistair went back to their own room. Alistair closed the door behind them and sighed.

"I don't think we're ever going to get out of this place." He groaned as he began to remove his gauntlets.

Bridget removed her armor as well and splashed some water onto her face.

"I feel the same way…all of these tedious tasks are driving me _insane_."

Alistair fell back on the bed, stretching and sighing into his pillow.

"There'll be plenty of Darkspawn in the Deep Roads, that's for sure. We need to make sure we're fully rested before we go in there."

Bridget laid down next to him and nodded as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'm exhausted anyhow, so I think I'll be able to get to sleep rather quickly."

Alistair nodded and yawned.

"Same here…"

Within minutes they were asleep. Although Bridget dreaded going down into the Deep Roads the next morning, she did not know that they were about to gain another rather interesting party member, and how much of a help he would be to her in the future.

A/N: _Once again I apologize for not updating in a while. School is literally taking over my life! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter is the Deep Roads so expect some Darkspawn bashin' Ogrhren swearin' goodness! ;)_


	41. Chapter 40: The Deep Roads

Chapter 40

The Deep Roads

The next morning, Bridget wasted no time at all waking up and getting ready. Alistair didn't even try to keep her to himself, surprisingly. Bridget guessed that he _really_ wanted to get out of Orzammar since he hadn't tried anything. After washing up and dressing back into her scale armor, Bridget strapped the Highever shield onto her back and walked out of the room and to the dining hall where everyone else already sat, eating breakfast. Bridget took Alistair's advice and ate a hearty, filling breakfast that way she'd have as much energy as possible. After all, there was no telling how many Darkspawn they would run into while venturing the Deep Roads. While the others decided on who would accompany her, Harrowmont entered the room and gave Bridget a map of the Deep Roads, explaining where he thought Branka may have gone. She thanked him, knowing that the map would be very useful and turned back to the others. Zevran and Alistair were the only two who opted to go. Everyone else gave their reasons for not going, Bridget guessed to try to ease her uneasy feeling about having an incomplete party. Taking all of their excuses into consideration, Bridget nodded to all of them and just decided that she, Alistair, and Zevran could most likely get the job done. They left the Diamond Quarter immediately and were soon in the Commons again. As Bridget led the others down the slight slope towards some guards who were blocking the entrance to the Deep Roads, Bridget heard hurried footsteps in the distance and turned around.

"Hey, wait!" a voice called out.

Bridget turned her head in the direction of the voice and recognized the redheaded dwarf who was hurrying towards her as the one from Tapster's. Upon reaching her, he stopped and hunched over a bit, trying to catch his breath.

"By the Ancestors, do you know how fast you walk?" he asked in a gruff voice.

Bridget raised her eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were following me. Can I help you?"

The dwarf closed one eye and looked up at her. He licked his lips and replied,

"You're the Warden from the Proving, right?"

Bridget nodded. The dwarf straightened up a bit and looked up at her.

"The name's Oghren. Look, I know Harrowmont needs a Paragon to back him up in the Assembly. The only living one we've got is my wife, Branka. I can help you find her, I know where she went."

Bridget blinked.

"Is that what you wanted to ask me back in Tapster's? I saw you look over at me, but you never said anything."

Oghren grumbled something under his breath and replied,

"She's been down there for two years and nobody around this sodding hole has tried to find her! Now that somebody's got reason to go and look for her, I sure as hell want in on it."

Bridget smiled.

"Well I could always use some help, plus this map doesn't look very resourceful now that I look at it. Let's get a move on."

Oghren brightened.

"I've been waiting two sodding years for somebody to say that!"

Alistair and Zevran looked at each other, not quite sure what to make of the dwarf, but kept their thoughts to themselves. Upon reaching the guards at the entrance, Bridget explained the situation, along with Oghren's help and they were allowed to enter the Deep Roads. Upon entering there were some bandits waiting for them, but they were easy to take care of. Once they were finished, Bridget had a thought hit her.

"I never introduced myself Oghren, I apologize! I'm Bridget, and this is Alistair and Zevran." She stated.

Oghren turned towards her after shoving a flask back in his pack and nodded.

"Uh-huh. Now are we gonna stand around here all day talking nice to each other or are we gonna move on?"

Bridget blinked at frowned.

"Alright then, I just thought you may have wanted to know who you were traveling with."

Oghren didn't reply and led the way into a tunnel, grumbling to himself. Bridget drew her brows together. She didn't know what to make of the man, to be honest, but she did admire the way he fought. He carried so much raw rage with every swing of his axe, it was really something to be admired.

"Well he's a bit of a grump…" Alistair whispered.

Zevran nodded.

"Reminds me of an old tale where there was a grumpy little dwarf with some others…and a princess or something." He replied.

Bridget tried to strike up a conversation with Oghren again, but apparently he wasn't much of a talker. He either brushed everything off with a 'Uh-Huh' or a nod of his head, and would leave it at that. She eventually gave up and remained quiet. To no surprise Darkspawn attacked them at nearly every turn. Hurlocks, Genlocks, Emissaries of both ranks and ogres kept coming at them with an unrelenting force. Bridget eventually lost count of exactly how many Darkspawn they had killed. If it wasn't Darkspawn that were attacking them, it was giant spiders and another horrible creature that Oghren identified as a Thaig Crawler. If it were possible to get any worse than a giant spider, the thaig crawler certainly did it. Bridget shuddered as she killed the horrible creature, thrusting her blade into it's back and then ripping through it's body. After dealing with them, she noticed a shadow dance in the corner of her eye and saw something scurry into a nearby cave. She led the others on cautiously, careful of where she placed her feet to sneak as quietly as she could in her armor. Upon entering the cave, Bridget dropped her guard just a little when she saw the back of another dwarf. Oghren nudged her and shook his head.

"Keep you're guard up. He's been down here a while, that means,"

Oghren didn't finish his sentence as the other dwarf turned around, causing Bridget to suck in her breath. His body jerked and twitched at certain moments, and his eyes were completely bloodshot and carried deep, dark bags underneath them. His skin looked clammy and he rubbed his hands together nervously.

"K-Keep back! S-Stay away!"

Alistair swallowed.

"He's been infected with the Blight…" he whispered.

Oghren nodded.

"Yep. You stuck down here long enough you run outta food. The only thing in readily supply down here is Darkspawn."

Bridget narrowed her brows and replied,

"Darkspawn blood is poisonous…how is it that he is still alive?"

Oghren shrugged.

"Who knows…"

Bridget turned back to the other dwarf and sheathed her blade. She slowly took a step forward, only to have him flinch away in fear.

"I said g-get b-back!" he shouted.

Bridget nodded and retook her step.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." She said softly.

The dwarf said nothing in reply, just continued to stare at her with wide, fearful eyes. Bridget smiled sweetly at him.

"I want to talk to you, will you talk with me?" she asked.

The dwarf shook his head.

"No! No talking! This is Ruck's cave, go away! My territory!"

Before Bridget could reply, Oghren stated,

"By the Ancestors, I think this is Branka's campsite!"

The gruff sound of his voice made Ruck shudder again. Bridget said in a soothing calm voice,

"I'm not here to steal anything from you, Ruck. I promise."

Ruck was quiet for a moment before he tipped his head to the side and started rubbing his hands together again.

"Y-You're a pretty lady…nice pretty hair…pretty eyes as blue as that that stems from the deepest rock…"

Bridget smiled back at him.

"Thank you for the compliments, Ruck." She replied.

Ruck looked up at her and asked,

"S-So you won't take anything from Ruck…none of my worms or shiny rocks?"

Bridget nodded.

"I _promise_ I won't take anything from you. I just want to talk, that's all."

Ruck nodded his head.

"Ruck not mind that so much…"

Bridget smiled at him. She cleared her throat and asked,

"How have you survived down here for so long?" she asked.

Ruck twitched a bit before replying,

"I hide in the shadows where the dark ones don't look…and then I eat the dark ones…then they not see me no more."

Bridget grimaced at the thought. From her experience she knew the blood was absolutely horrible. She couldn't even begin to imagine eating their _flesh_.

"Can you tell me where the 'dark ones' went?" she asked softly.

Ruck nodded.

"Far to the south I thinks pretty lady, very far…the dark master calls with his pretty voice and calls them…there was so much joy when he awoke!"

Bridget's eyes widened as she swallowed. She looked up at Alistair to find his eyes slightly wide as well.

"The Arch Demon." He whispered softly.

Bridget turned back to Ruck and asked,

"Do you know where the 'dark master' is now?"

Ruck twitched as he shook his head.

"He stopped calling…Ruck wanted to go, to gaze on his beauty…but no, Ruck is a coward…"

Bridget felt so much sympathy for Ruck, she just wanted to give him a hug, but thought against it. After a moment she asked,

"Did you find anything unusual in this campsite?"

Oghren grumbled,

"Bout time you're getting to the point."

Bridget darted her eyes to him and then looked back to Ruck, patiently waiting his answer.

"Bits of things, the crawlers took most of everything, shiny things, steel things, paper things…they takes the shines and the words…

Oghren crossed his arms.

"Paper things? That sounds like someone was taking notes…this had to be Branka's camp for sure!" he exclaimed.

Ruck continued on saying,

"They tooks it to the great nest and settles it there…"

Bridget nodded, dreading where this was heading and thanked Ruck by giving him a 'shiny coin'. As she and the others walked around the cave, Zevran pointed out to her the scorch marks on the ground, stating that somebody had to have camped here before. As they exited the cave, Bridget shuddered at what she knew would be coming next.

"We're going to have to find that nest…" she whispered, dreading the very thought of it. Her mind was already producing images of crawlers and spiders everywhere, snapping their pinchers and venom dripping from their fangs. They continued to carefully walk down the passageways, sometimes coming across a Darkspawn or two…but overall it was very quiet…too quiet for Bridget's taste. After walking for a bit and finally coming to a turn, she quickly drew her blade as she saw a venomous spider in the distance, but when she charged at him he shot a web up towards the ceiling and climbed it, disappearing from view. Along the way, many others did this as well. Bridget knew immediately that something was wrong if all of the spiders were fleeing…

Entering the next room, she knew why. A Genlock Emissary stood in the distance, already shooting magic at Bridget and the others. As Zevran ran off to deal with him, the familiar hissing that queued the spiders' approach rang through Bridget's ears. Five of them descended from the ceiling and wasted no time in their attacks. Bridget bashed one of them with her shield that had snapped it's pinchers at her and nearly had a pair of fangs dip into her arm if it wasn't for Alistair. She turned and rushed to Oghren's aid as one of them had thrown him down and was about to rip into him. She knocked it to the side with her shield and ran her blade through the horrible thing, killing it on the spot.

Oghren thanked her, but by the look on his face, Bridget could tell that there was something behind her…something she wasn't going to like. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down and out of the way of another spider, but this one was different. This spider had a white back with intricate designs in it's body. Noticing that it was different, Bridget guessed that it was the queen. Eight pairs of blood red eyes landed on Bridget just then and she and Oghren both ran out of the way to avoid an attack. Zevran was able to stab the spider queen from behind since she was busy with Bridget and Oghren, and as he did that, Alistair flanked her on her side. They caught her attention long enough for Bridget and Oghren to regroup and grab their weapons again (as they had been knocked out of their hands) and soon all four of them were trying their hardest to get in hits. Unfortunately though the queen spider was rather cunning and whenever she had taken so many hits, would scurry up to the ceiling once more and call her children to fight for her. This process went on for just a little while longer and then finally, Oghren slammed his axe down on her body, slicing her in half. They all stood around her, panting madly as about a hundred or so carcasses decorated the floor. Oghren wiped his arm against his forehead and growled,

"I hate sodding spiders."

Bridget chuckled.

"I couldn't have put it better myself."

After taking a short break, Bridget and the others began to search the area for the things the spiders had taken, clues on Branka's whereabouts before Bridget noticed a large book sitting on a stone slab not too far from them. She called the others over to it, and once Oghren's eyes laid on it, he lit up like a flame on a candle and grinned.

"This is Branka's handwriting!" he exclaimed.

He quickly scanned over the contents of the journal and beamed.

"Branka was thinking about me! Old softy…says here she was looking for the Anvil of the Void. She's gone on to say that…"

He was quiet for a moment before sighing.

"The next stop'll be the Dead Trenches."

Bridget crinkled her nose.

"Well that sounds…pleasant." She remarked.

Alistair nodded.

"I was just about to say the same thing." Sarcasm rang in both of their voices.

Zevran sighed.

"I just want to get out of here."

Bridget placed Branka's journal in her pack and nodded towards the others, turning to face the entrance to the Dead Trenches, and already smelling the stench of the Darkspawn filling her nostrils. She withdrew her sword and led them in, hoping that things would go smoothly.

But of course, things never went smoothly. Not for Bridget and her friends.

A/N: _Whew! Glad this chapter's finished, I hope you all enjoyed it. Next up we meet Helspith and Bridget and the others will endure a oh so lovely meeting with the Broodmother_. _And of course we catch a peak at the Arch Demon!_


	42. Chapter 41: Hespith's Poem

Chapter 41

Hespith's Poem

Bridget and the others slowly walked down the damp and dark tunnel leading into the Dead Trenches. The air was thick and murky; it was rather difficult to breathe. The temperature was beginning to rise as well. All of these things did not help the uneasy feeling in Bridget's stomach. After traversing the dark tunnel for a few minutes more, Bridget saw a somewhat dim light at the end and hurried towards it, only to wish that she hadn't. As she and the others stepped outside of the tunnel, they found themselves on the edge of a cliff. Bridget moved her foot slightly and a few small rocks fell away and down into the lava below. Bridget blinked and looked closely at the lava to discover that it wasn't lava at all…it was Darkspawn. Her eyes widened as she stared down at them all…there had to be thousands of them! Maybe even hundreds of thousands! A terrible scream erupted throughout the cave and Bridget closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears. She slowly opened her eyes and felt her stomach drop. A large gust of wind knocked all of them off of their feet, and Oghren nearly fell over the edge if Zevran had not been quick to grab him. In the distance a _very, very_ large dragon sat…but this dragon was not like Flemeth nor was it like the 'Andraste' from the mountain in Haven. This dragon was…for lack of a better word, twisted. Four large, sharp fangs escaped his mouth and as he opened it to let out another 'calling' Bridget saw rows of razor sharp teeth. It's skin was like rocks rippling across it's body. Sharp, long talons dug into the stone cliff it was perched on as another scream rang through the cave. The Arch Demon breathed purple fire and flew up into the air once more, flying away towards the east and disappearing. Only after it was gone did Bridget remove her hands from her ears and tremble slightly.

"H-How are _we_ supposed to kill _that_?" she asked softly.

No body answered her because no one _knew_ the answer. Alistair helped her stand and soon enough they were traversing through the Dead Trenches, Darkspawn coming at them at every turn. It was an endless wave of Genlocks, Hurlocks, Ogres, spiders and thaig crawlers. This place just made Bridget want to get out of Orzammar even more. After walking in a room filled with even _more_ Darkspawn and dealing with the Genlock overlord, they all took a moment to rest. Bridget busied herself tending to Zevran's left knee as he had taken an arrow to it and wrapped a good amount of bandages around the wound, pinning the cloth together. Zevran sighed.

"I've said this before and I'll say it again. I want to get out of here!"

Bridget stood and placed the bandages back in her pack.

"I know, Zev. All of us want out. Do you need to rest a bit or can you walk?"

Zevran stood and strapped his daggers back onto his back.

"No I'm fine. I've been through much worse than taking an arrow anywhere. Let's move on."

Bridget nodded and rounded up a very uncomfortable looking Alistair and a prideful looking Oghren. Bridget looked at them both and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you two…okay?" she asked.

Alistair nodded.

"Oh everything's perfectly fine! Let's move on."

He grabbed Bridget's hand and dragged her behind him and back out the way they came. Zevran raised an eyebrow at the scene and then looked back down to the dwarf.

"Did I miss something?"

Oghren grinned and chuckled.

"Hehe, nah. I was just teasing Chantry boy about what he does with the boss's legs."

Zevran grinned and patted Oghren's shoulder.

"I think you and I may have something in common after all, my friend. Teasing Alistair proves to be fun for hours on end. With both of our heads, I'm sure we can think of some truly wonderful ways to poke fun at him!"

"Are you two coming or not?" Bridget shouted.

Oghren and Zevran hurried to catch up to Bridget and Alistair. Upon entering the next room, they were once again ambushed. This time however it was not Darkspawn. Instead it was skeletons that tried to stab them. After taking care of the skeletons, Bridget looked around the room and drew her brows together.

"What is _that_?" she asked as she motioned over to a large, flesh type sac that was protruding from the wall.

Alistair grimaced.

"That's a good question…" he noted as he stared at the sac.

Oghren picked up a bone from one of the skeletons and commenced into poking the sac with it. Before Bridget could tell him to stop, the sac popped and spilled it's puss all over Zevran's boots.

"Not my boots!" he exclaimed as he jumped back.

Bridget shook her head and led them forward, with Zevran grumbling curses in Antivan under his breath.

_First day they come and catch everyone…_

Bridget stopped abruptly, as did the others.

"Did any of you hear that?" she asked softly.

Alistair nodded.

"I did…it sounded creepy…"

They walked a little bit further and Bridget began to notice that more and more of the fleshy sacs were growing out of the walls...and had blood pooling all around them.

_Second day, they beat us and eat some for meat._

Bridget swallowed. She didn't like the sound of that voice and drew her blade cautiously. She slowly moved forward as the mysterious voice continued to echo throughout the tunnel.

_Fifth day they return…and then it's another girl's turn…_

Alistair sighed uneasily.

"I really don't like the sound of that voice…" he whispered.

Bridget nodded and gripped the handle of her blade tight in her hand.

_Sixth day her screams we hear in our dreams…_

They continued to traverse the dark tunnel slowly, focusing on every sound they heard to make sure they weren't about to be ambushed. The voice began to get louder as they drew closer to it's source.

_Eighth day we hate it as she is violated…_

Bridget stepped out of the tunnel and into another room as the voice called out,

_Ninth day she grins and devours her kin…_

At long last they approached a door, though Bridget was a bit hesitant to open it for fear of what lay behind it. She pushed the metal door open slowly just as the creepy voice said,

_Now she does feast as she's become the beast…_

Bridget stepped into the room with her sword and shield at the ready…but no one was present. Or so she thought…Bridget turned to tell the others that the room was vacant when her eyes landed on the back of a dwarf who was bent over one of the many fleshy sacs in the room…_eating_ from it. Bridget blanched, as did the others. She held her stomach and swallowed back the bile that formed in the back of her throat.

"Dear Maker…" she whispered.

After swallowing once more she began to walk forward, but kept her sword and shield out. Oghren tripped over one of the sacs and crashed to the stone, yelling out a dwarven curse as he fell. The other dwarf turned abruptly at the sound of his armor coming into contact with the stone, and Bridget stared straight into her face.

And she thought Ruck looked bad.

This woman looked so far gone, Bridget wasn't sure if she would be able to communicate with her. Deep dark, black circles rested under her sunken milky eyes. The blackness of the taint was visible in her veins as well. She tipped her head to the side as she examined Bridget before making a repulsed noise and saying,

"Eck, humans…they are bland and unlikely here…" she stated in a disgusted voice.

Bridget continued to stare at her as she continued.

"Feeding time only warrants kin and clan…"

She began to recite her dark poem once more as Bridget turned and looked at the others.

"Is this supposed to be the Darkspawn corruption? It looks…different…" she stated.

At this the dwarf stopped mid-sentence of her chant and hissed,

"Corruption? Men _are_ corruption! Their wounds festered and their minds left! They marched ahead like dogs and were the first to die! Not me…nor Laryn…we are not cut…we feed on flesh and on blood and bile and…"

Bridget grimaced as she felt bile rise up in the back of her throat again. She felt very queasy from the horrible smell in the room…and the dwarf's detailed imagery that she was providing through her words was not helping in the least.

"I had to watch…I had to see the change and I wonder…how do you endure that…how did Branka endure…?"

"What change do you speak of? What did they become?"

The dwarf shook her head frantically.

"I will not speak of it! I Branka's lover, Branka's friend can not forgive her for what she has become…what she has done?"

Oghren stepped forward.

"What _has_ she done, Hespith?" he demanded.

Hespith shook her head again and began to pull at her hair.

"I will not speak of it!" she shrieked before running away.

Bridget and the others stared off after her, a bit confused and wary at the same time. Zevran drew his brows together and rubbed his chin.

"Am I the only one that caught what she said about being Branka's lover?"

Oghren clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes.

"Shut it, elf." He snapped.

Bridget remained quiet as she led the others to follow after Hespith. Of course they ran into some more Darkspawn, two ogres in fact. All throughout the fighting, Hespith's voice continued to echo throughout the cave. From the little bits Bridget caught while trying to slay the ogres, Branka has become obsessed with the 'Anvil of the Void', whatever that was. It didn't sound pleasant in the least and it was at that moment that Bridget wished she paid more attention to the squire that tried to drill all this information into her when she was a young girl. Once the ogres were down, Bridget followed the others towards Hespith's voice but came to a locked door. There was another opening in the cave towards the right and when Bridget began to explore it, she saw the glimmer of a key in the distance. She hurried over to it and took the key, making the Legion Spirits that were in the room spring to life and attack them. After dealing with them she quickly led the others back out of that portion of the cave and to the locked door. The key was a perfect fit and she opened the large metal door and slipped inside, followed closely by the others. Hespith's voice yet again rang in all of their ears as she explained that the Darkspawn made Laryn rip off her husband's face and then eat him...

Upon stepping into the next room and traversing down a short tunnel, Bridget heard a deep rumbling scream. She immediately drew her weapon and charged forward, but skidded to a halt as she gaped at what made the sound. Bridget had seen many terrible things in her short time of being a Grey Warden…but the sight of what sat before her now had to be the worst.

A/N: _I think we all know what's coming next…I apologize for the creepiness in this chapter, but seriously this part of the game really kind of freaked me out. Next chapter should be up real soon, I'm on a roll! :)_


	43. Chapter 42: Broodmother

Chapter 42

Broodmother, Branka, and Caridin's Traps.

Bridget gaped at the creature that lay ahead of her screeching and groaning and shuddered. Yes she had seen many terrible things before, she'd seen the destruction the demons caused at the Circle Tower, had seen Uldred turn another mage into an abomination right before her very eyes. She had seen the dead walk once more. She'd seen giant man eating spiders and thiag crawlers and other many horrible things…yet she had defeated them all. She'd stared into the face of an ogre and hadn't even flinched and yet this…_thing_…this was enough to make her falter out of sheer fear. Knowing that what lay ahead of her used to be a woman, a normal being is what caused her to quake in her boots. This is what the Darkspawn are capable of, catching women and violating them…turning them into this disgusting, horrible, yet pitied creature all for the purpose of breeding. Bridget stepped forward cautiously, gripping the hilt of her sword and swallowing nervously. The closer she got the worse the stench and the thing that Hespith was calling 'Broodmother' looked. It had multiple breasts growing out of what used to be it's chest in many layers that all formed together in one mass. Tentacles shot out of holes in the floor in every direction, curling up and lashing out, already trying to attack Bridget and the others at a distance.

"By the Gods…" Alistair said warily, his own look of shock and fear present on his face.

Bridget said a silent prayer to the Maker before nodding towards the others and dashing forward, dodging one of the tentacles and jumping over another one. She deduced that they would have to get rid of them first and thus began to cut and slice at one that was closest to her, slicing it and causing it to gush with blood. It immediately retracted back into the hole and Bridget turned to see that the others were doing the same. She took that opportunity to attack the Broodmother herself…only to wish that she hadn't. After getting only a few hits in, Bridget realized her feet were no longer on the ground and she was being lifted into the air. She screamed when she came face to face with the horrible creature and turned her head and held her breath as it belched in her face, it's grip only becoming tighter around her body. Alistair, who had been busy with another tentacle looked up at Bridget's scream and went pale. He rushed towards the arm that was holding her and sliced his sword through the air, cutting deep into it's flesh. The Broodmother shrieked in pain and flung Bridget from her hand and across the room. She landed hard against the stone and was knocked out cold. Alistair hurried over to her as Zevran shouted that Darkspawn were starting to spill into the room. Alistair bashed a Genlock with his shield and turned quickly to a Hurlock that had almost caught hold of Bridget's ankle. Zevran hurried over towards Alistair and helped him with his quick movements.

"Go help Oghren with that thing, I'll keep Bridget safe."

Alistair nodded and hurried to Oghren's aid, slicing him free of a tentacle and turning his attention to the Broodmother once more. Zevran quickly moved between his targets delving his Crow daggers into their bodies and quickly pulling them back out again, ripping through their flesh and scattering their tainted blood everywhere. Zevran noticed that these Darkspawn were a bit fiercer than others that they had fought before, probably because they were attacking the thing that was spawning more of their kind. In one final, horrible shriek the Broodmother slumped over and all the tentacles that remained in the air fell to the ground sending dirt and bits of rock up into the air upon making contact. Zevran killed the last Hurlock that was in the room and sheathed his daggers turning towards Bridget's body and kneeling beside her. Alistair hurried over to her and dropped to his knees, slowly lifting her head to inspect it. He let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"I don't think she hit her head." He said softly

Zevran released a sigh as well and soon enough, Bridget's eyes fluttered open. She winced and placed her hand to her side.

"Ow…what the hell happened to me?"

Oghren walked over to her and held out his flask.

"Here drink this, you'll forget all about your pain."

Bridget took the flask from him and pressed it to her lips, taking it's contents into her mouth before tearing the flask away and spitting out the liquid.

"Blah! What is this?"

Oghren chuckled.

"Finest dwarven ale you'll ever get. Secret family recipe…guess you can't hold your liquor." He said.

Bridget rolled her eyes and threw the flask back, downing a bit of it's contents in one gulp. She swallowed and coughed a bit, shaking her head.

"Ugh…I want to get out of here…"

Alistair shook his head.

"Rest a few minutes and then we'll move on."

Bridget nodded and sighed. She looked up to see Zevran standing in front of the Broodmother looking rather pale.

"You okay Zevran?" she asked.

Without taking his eyes off of the Broodmother he replied,

"I never want to see another pair of breasts again…"

Bridget snorted. Zevran looked at her and shrugged.

"Okay…maybe at least for a few hours then. This thing is enough to turn men away from ever admiring a woman's chest ever again. Then again…if it is _your_ chest…"

Alistair frowned.

"Why don't you go and talk to Oghren?" he asked.

Zevran raised his hands in defeat.

"Haha okay, I can see when I'm not wanted." He chuckled before going to the other side of the room and striking up a conversation with the dwarf.

Alistair turned his attention back to Bridget.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah, I landed in dirt…mostly. I'm probably going to be a little bruised though, I can already feel one forming on my side, but I'll be fine."

Alistair smiled and bent to her lips to place a sweet kiss.

"Though I wouldn't mind another massage after all this is over with…" she mumbled against his lips.

Alistair chuckled.

"You're wish is my command." He replied through his laughter.

Bridget grinned and patted him on his side.

"Okay let's get a move on. We've still got to find Branka."

Alistair nodded and helped Bridget get to her feet slowly. They rounded up Oghren and Zevran who were both snickering about something, and were about to turn to head out the opposite end of the tunnel when Bridget noticed Hespith standing atop a ledge rubbing her hands together.

"That is where they come from…" she said slowly as she motioned towards the Broodmother.

"That's why they hate us…and need us…and feed us…and take us…." She trailed off, closing her eyes in pain and shaking her head.

"These things are all terrible things…but the true abomination is not that his occurred…but that it was allowed. Branka…my love…I am dying of something worse than death, dream friend. I am dying of _Betrayal._"

With that Hespith disappeared into the shadows and the air no longer carried her song. Oghren grumbled something under his breath before kicking a rock out of his way. Bridget took that as a sign to move on, and she did so leading the others out of the opposite tunnel. Upon reaching the next clearing, Bridget jumped as a roaring sound startled her. She and the others turned to see a metal gate sprout from the ground and seal off the entrance back from where they came. Bridget furrowed her brow and turned back around cautiously as she heard a pair of feet approaching them. Another dwarven woman appeared on a nearby ledge fully clad in armor. She held a stern look on her face and didn't look very pleased.

"Let me be blunt here, I have no tolerance for social graces. I hope this doesn't bother you."

Before Bridget could reply, Oghren nearly knocked her over as he ran forward.

"Well call me a nug's uncle, Branka? I barely recognized you!" he exclaimed.

Bridget raised her eyebrows. That's about as much excitement she'd ever seen in Oghren since she first offered to help him. She turned her gaze to Branka and it appeared that seeing her husband after so many years didn't even faze her.

"Oh Oghren, it's you. I figured you'd find some way down here. Hopefully you can find your way back more easily."

Zevran crossed his arms.

"Ouch…what a bitch."

Oghren sort of just gaped at Branka as she turned her gaze to Bridget.

"Hmm…I suppose you're the hired sword of the latest lordling to come and find me? Or perhaps you are the only one who doesn't mind Oghren's stench."

Oghren shook his head.

"Be respectful would you? You're talking to a Grey Warden, woman!" he shouted.

Branka blinked and continued addressing Bridget.

"Well I guess that just makes you 'important' hired muscle then. I assume something has happened? Endrin is dead I take it?"

Bridget looked up at her and nodded.

"Yes he is dead. Orzammar needs a new king to help stop the Blight." She stated.

Branka rolled her eyes.

"King's don't stop Blights girl…they're nothing but pompous nobles that sit their fat asses on a throne all day. We have had forty generations of kings and we have lost _everything_."

Bridget raised her eyebrows. Branka continued.

"I could care less if they put a nug on the throne. The thing that we should be worried about, the thing that once made our armies unbeatable has become lost to the very Darkspawn it should be fighting…The Anvil of the Void."

Bridget and the others looked at each other uneasily. Branka went on to describe how powerful the Anvil of the Void is, what it could do and that she would sacrifice anything and everything to obtain it.

"Does that mean you would sacrifice Hespith and all the others of your house?" Bridget asked sharply.

Branka stopped mid sentence and clenched her jaw.

"Enough questions. The only way out is forward through Caridin's maze." She replied.

Oghren clenched his fists.

"What has this place _done_ to you? I remember marrying a girl who I could talk to for less than a minute and see her brilliance!" he yelled, his temper exploding.

Branka looked down at Oghren with cold, unloving eyes and replied simply,

"I am your Paragon." Before turning on her heel and walking away.

Oghren's jaw dropped as the others stared after her with the same expression. Bridget drew her brows together and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Oghren I,"

He shook his head.

"Let's just move on." He replied in a gruff voice.

Bridget nodded and removed her hand, taking to the front of the group and leading the others. As they walked down the short tunnel leading to what was left of Branka's camp, her voice echoed off of the walls as she explained that the members of her house would follow her to the ends of Thedas and back and thus she sent them through Caridin's mazes because they would not refuse her. Alistair shook his head.

"She is obsessed with this…" he whispered so that only Bridget could hear him.

She nodded slowly.

"I can see no way this is going to end well." She replied softly.

Passing Branka's camp, a great number of Darkspawn ran towards Bridget and the others, brandishing their weapons or staffs. An ogre was amidst the horde so Bridget took to taking him down first, which she did and he landed on a Genlock Emissary. Bridget turned to see a golem amidst the fight and sighed having the slightest inclination that there would be a lot of them ahead. After slaying all the Darkspawn in the area, Bridget led the others on cautiously down the tight passageway and towards a doorway. Upon stepping into the new room, Bridget closed her eyes tightly and began coughing. The room was filled with a poisonous gas…as well as five golems. She opened her eyes despite the burning sensation she felt in them and did her best to fight off the golem that was attacking her. While slashing at the rock creature, Bridget noticed a few levers placed precariously about the room. Since Zevran was quick on his feet and was wearing the least amount of armor to be weighed down (or protected from a golem's smash), she shouted to him to pull all the levers, which he did. The toxic fumes dispersed and they could all finally breathe easily once more. Not having the gas stinging their eyes made the fight go in their favor and soon all the hostile golems had crumbled to the floor. The next room posed to be just as difficult as Alistair accidentally set off a blade trap before Zevran could alert anyone to it thus receiving a nasty gash in his arm. To make matters worse, the room was also filled with golems and they wasted no time at all coming to life and throwing large rocks at Bridget and the rest of her party. She grabbed Oghren out of the way of one and winced as it scraped up against her armor. It didn't tear through it but the sound of rock scraping up against metal is never a pleasant one. Finally after fighting their way through golem after golem, Bridget stepped through to the other side of the tunnel. They took a little break to regroup and bandage up Alistair's arm.

"Next time we're near a shop, I'm getting you some better armor." Bridget stated as she wrapped the bandage around his arm.

Alistair nodded.

"That sounds good to me!" he exclaimed.

They pressed forward, wary of what other types of traps Caridin could have possibly come up with. Entering the next room, Bridget furrowed her brow as she tried to make out what lay ahead of them. It looked like a large stone that had faces carved into it…but once they approached it, the structure began to move and Forgotten Spirits flew out of the open mouths of the stone faces and stood in front of anvils. The eyes of the stone faces glowed an eerie blue color…color that resembled the lyrium veins placed sporadically throughout the cave. There was one in front of each face. The spirit that was closest to Bridget engaged her in a tricky battle, but eventually she was able to defeat it. Once she had, the anvil that he originally guarded over had a strange glow erupt around it. Bridget swung her blade down on it and once she had, the stone face that was in front of it exploded and it's eyes, instead of glowing blue like before, now seemed to be crying blood. Bridget smirked. The solution to solving this trap had just clicked in her mind. She repeated the process of vanquishing the Forgotten Spirits and then destroying the anvils that they stood in front of. Soon enough, the entire contraption came crumbling down. Bridget nodded towards the others and moved on to the next tunnel. She hoped that this was the final trap. Stepping into the next room however, Bridget had a feeling that there would be one more…and probably the toughest yet.

A/N: _I don't know about you guys but every single time I fight the Broodmother, my Warden never makes it. One more chapter to go and we'll finally be out of Orzammar! YAY! _


	44. Chapter 43: Caridin's Choice

Chapter 43

Caridin's Choice

Bridget led the others through the opening slowly, her blade drawn and her grip on it's hilt tight. A dozen or so golems stood across from one another, all of them turning their gaze on Bridget and her friends as they progressed into the cave. Bridget looked over them warily but pressed forward before she turned her head and nearly stopped in her tracks. Standing just a few feet ahead of her was another golem, she assumed but this one was fairly different than the others. This golem was not made of stone, but instead he was made of metal. He looked as if he were wearing some type of armor, he was very ornate compared to the other golems. An electrical current wavered about his large body. Bridget swallowed nervously, but so far she detected no hostility from the large golem. She stopped about three feet in front of him and lowered her defenses. The overgrown golem looked down at her.

"My name is Caridin. Once, long ago I was a Paragon to the dwarves of Orzammar."

He stated in a deep, rumbling voice that echoed throughout the large cave.

"If the Anvil is what you seek, then you must listen to my story or be forced to carry the same fate…"

Oghren stepped forward and asked,

"You're _the_ Caridin? From Caridin's Cross?" he asked.

Caridin, Bridget supposed nodded and continued to explain the misfortune that befell himself and the other dwarves because of the Anvil going on to say what Bridget had feared the most: that the Anvil took the lives of the dwarves to turn them into golems. This was the thing that Branka was after, wanted so desperately so much so that she betrayed her lover _and_ her entire house. Bridget sighed as Caridin continued, asking for Bridget's help to destroy the thing.

_This isn't going to end well…_she thought.

As if on cue, Branka ran in at that moment with her own army of golems backing her up.

"No! The Anvil is _mine_! Don't listen to him! He's been down here for years with nothing but his own madness to occupy his thoughts!" she hissed.

Bridget looked over her shoulder at Branka and shook her head.

"I'm doing what's right here, and that means destroying the Anvil so that no more innocent lives are taken!" she shouted.

Bridget turned back to Caridin and nodded.

"I'll help you, but I need your voice to support the new king of Orzammar. The Assembly will not choose unless a Paragon has chosen first."

Caridin nodded.

"I will do anything to repay you for helping me with this." He replied.

Oghren shook his head.

"Can't you see what this search has done to you, Branka? You've gone completely blind with want that you don't care who you hurt to get it!" he shouted.

Branka flared her nostrils.

"The Anvil will restore the glory our people once carried with them! You will not destroy it, not while I live!"

Oghren swallowed.

"Don't throw away your life for this!" he yelled.

Even Bridget could hear the begging in his voice. She shook her head, turning around to face her.

"Branka we _have_ to destroy the anvil! I cannot allow you to gain hold of it!"

Oghren snapped his head up to look at her.

"Just give her the damn thing, she's confused…she'll talk once she's calmed down…"

Bridget looked down at Oghren and sighed, as he did the same. They both knew that his statement lacked the conviction it needed for Bridget to even consider the option of betraying Caridin. And so a large, very difficult battle ensued, golem attacking golem, Caridin attacking Branka, and Bridget and the others helping in anyway they could. Soon enough, Branka lay dead as did the majority of her golem army. Caridin crafted a crown for Harrowmont and Bridget destroyed the Anvil, as agreed. They all watched as Caridin bid his farewell in a final thanks before plunging off of the side of the cliff and sinking into the lava below. Bridget turned to Oghren and sighed.

"Oghren I, I'm so sorry…"

He shook his head.

"I don't need any apology, Warden. She was always a bit soft in the head…firebrand between the sheets but just so dumb the rest of the time…"

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"Well…you're certainly taking this well…" he stated.

Oghren shrugged.

"She was already gone for two years before…and I had a ugh, _friend_ during that time so…"

Zevran grinned and slapped Oghren on the back.

"You see, we are even more alike than I originally thought!" he cackled.

Bridget raised her eyebrows and then turned on her heel leading the others out of the Dead Trenches. She was so ready to leave this entire place she felt like she could perform a series of cartwheels and difficult acrobatic flips just to express her joy! They made it back to the Commons in no time at all and hurried on to the Diamond Quarter. Upon entering the Assembly, supporters for both Bhelen and Harrowmont were arguing back and forth. The Assembly Master quieted everyone down once Bridget and the others stepped into the center of the room and addressed her immediately. Bridget stepped forward brandishing the crown that Caridin had crafted and stated,

"The Paragon Caridin chose Harrowmont!"

Cheers from Harrowmont's supporters erupted through the room. They died out fairly quickly however when Bhelen and his lackeys decided to attack everyone. Wanting to spend no more time than necessary in Orzammar any more than she had to, Bridget used every bit of energy she had left into taking Bhelen down. When he fell, the Assembly Master crowned Harrowmont as king and at last all of Orzammar's problems were solved. Harrowmont offered for Bridget and the rest of the party to stay for the celebration feast he would hold later that evening, but she politely declined, much to the disappointment of Alistair's stomach.

"How come you don't want to stay?" he asked her as she quickly hurried towards Harrowmont's estate to round up the others and grab her things. She stopped long enough to give him an exasperated look before replying,

"We have the chance to get out now, so I am taking this opportunity before somebody else approaches me and asks me to do something!" she replied.

Alistair chuckled.

"You know, you do make a good point."

Bridget nodded and soon they were all heading back through the Halls of Heroes and up to the surface. Once stepping through the gates, Oghren stated that he needed a minute, and quite frankly so did Bridget. They walked away from the gates of the city and set up camp as far away as they could get. Leliana brought out her lute at Bridget's request and Bridget danced a victory/happy dance for finally getting out of Orzammar. Zevran sat down next to Alistair as Bridget had finally calmed down and was allowing Leliana to braid her hair. Oghren sat down nearby Alistair as well and shook his head as he took a sip from his flask.

"Damn, that woman has got about as much energy in her as a nug trying to keep away from a catcher!" he exclaimed as Bridget had begun to dance just a bit more while antagonizing Zeus with a mabari crunch treat.

Alistair chuckled. Oghren looked up at him and smirked.

"Bet you're never gonna get the 'I'm too tired' excuse."

Zevran nearly fell of off the log they were sitting on from his laughter as Alistair buried his face in his hands at Oghren's snickers.

"Maker it was bad enough with just Zevran, now you too? Ugh…"

Oghren downed the rest of his 'special' ale and took a special interest into staring at Bridget's bottom, which Alistair noticed as well. Oghren shook his head.

"They don't make 'em like that in Orzammar…"

Alistair stood.

"Okay I think part of that may be the alcohol talking but either way I think I'm going to go over there now…"

Oghren laughed.

"Oh sit back down will you. I'm just saying well, you're lucky to have her, you know. At least she won't run off with another woman…though I wouldn't mind seeing her and the red head,"

Alistair stood again as he had heard quite enough and bumped into Bridget. She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You know, you still owe me a massage." She stated.

Alistair grinned.

"I do, don't I? I had almost forgotten…"

Bridget gave him a look that completely said 'sure you did' and went off to their tent, Alistair following gleefully behind. Morrigan actually kept her tent rather close to everyone else and sat on a log in front of the fire making a disgusted face.

"Those two are going to make me ill…" she grumbled.

Oghren raised his eyebrows and scooted a bit closer to her.

"Aye you said it."

Morrigan looked over at him briefly before turning her attention back to the stew that was bubbling over the fire. Oghren swept his eyes over her and said,

"That's an interesting robe you're wearing there…"

Morrigan once again looked up from her stew and turned to him.

"Is there something particular you wished to ask me, dwarf? I do not care for idle chat." She replied.

Oghren smirked.

"Direct, to the point. I like that in a woman. Alright I'll cut to the chase."

Morrigan raised an eyebrow.

"Which is?"

Oghren rested his head in his hands and leaned over towards her.

"Ever wonder what it's like to be with a dwarf?"

Morrigan frowned, stood, pulled up her tent, and walked far away from everyone else to set it up once more, like usual. Zevran chuckled.

"Ah my tiny friend you were so close."

Oghren narrowed his eyes.

"Don't call me that, elf." He stated.

Zevran shrugged.

"As you wish."

They were quiet a moment before Oghren raised his eyebrows at a giggle that the breeze carried away from Bridget's tent. He looked at Zevran.

"This happen often?" he ask motioning towards her tent.

Zevran nodded.

"Very much so, in fact, you may want to place your tent somewhere away from theirs so you may get a decent rest."

Oghren snorted.

"Please, elf. I'm no light sleeper! Nothing can keep me awake!"

Zevran stood and chuckled.

"Whatever you say…" he said as he walked off to his own tent.

Oghren stood and stumbled just a bit and walked into his own tent. He laid down on his bedroll and closed his eyes. Sleep would definitely be easy to obtain because one, he was drunk, and two, he was tired as all hell. What Oghren didn't know was the fact that Grey Wardens possessed substantial amounts of stamina and when you happen to perch your tent right next to a pair of _two_ Wardens who happen to be quite in love with each other…well…

Let's just say Oghren didn't get _any_ sleep that night.

A/N: _WE'RE OUT OF ORZAMMAR YAY! And yes, I did a happy dance too! So I ended this chapter light and airy because things are going to get a bit on the serious side from here on out. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Only 2 more days of class for me and then expect a LOT of updates here, it's going to get good guys, trust me! ;)_


	45. Chapter 44: The Promise

Chapter 44

The Promise

Bridget looked around at her surroundings and found that she did not like this place. No, she didn't like this place at all. Here the ground was barren, almost all ash…of the few trees that were around, they all looked as if they had been recently burned. Bridget continued to walk through the strange and unknown area. She was looking for _something_ or maybe _someone_ but she couldn't figure out what it was. A noise caused her to turn and she relaxed when she saw Alistair in the distance. She called out to him but he did not look her way. Instead he stood from his kneeling position and began to walk in the opposite direction. Bridget furrowed her brow and decided to follow him. At first she was able to keep up with him just by walking, but then she found herself jogging slightly before eventually breaking out into a full run, and yet Alistair was still quite a ways ahead of her. It was as if she were on some type of machinery that caused her to run in place, and Alistair was being dangled in front of her but just out of her reach. She reached out for him again and this time she caught hold of his hand just for a brief second, only for him to disappear in a puff of smoke. Before she could react, the scene fell away and she now found herself staring at well…herself slumped to the floor in an unrecognizable room and sobbing hysterically. The other forms in the room were blurry to her, but she could tell from certain characteristics that they were her friends. Leliana was sitting beside her, trying to sooth her while the others looked like they were trying to make sense of the situation. Everyone was there; she counted, except for one…

Where was Alistair?

Bridget's eyes widened. He had disappeared before her…and here she was in complete hysterics so putting two and two together he must've been…

_No_!

Bridget's eyes flew open as she sat up bolt right. Her heart was slamming itself against her chest, so much so that she could hear the pounding in her ears. Her sudden movement had woken Alistair up next to her and he sat quickly, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Love? Sweetheart are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Alistair looked at her. All of the color was drained from her skin and she was soaked in a cold sweat. He moved to face her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She was trembling. Bridget calmed herself down just a bit before replying,

"Bad dream."

Alistair closed his eyes and rubbed his hands down her back.

"Was it Howe again?" he asked.

Bridget shook her head.

"No it was…about you, actually."

Alistair pulled away from her slightly to look at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Bridget explained the nightmare to him all the while trying not to get herself worked up again. She knew that they could die any day, no one was ever promised a tomorrow, doubly so if you happen to be a Grey Warden during a Blight…but the thought of losing Alistair was just too much to bear. Alistair noticed that Bridget looked uncomfortable again and caressed the side of her face.

"Here, come with me, I want to show you something."

Bridget nodded slowly and they both quietly exited the tent. The rest of the party still had not stirred yet, in fact it was so early the sun was not yet even out. Alistair grabbed his sword and shield just in case they were attacked while traveling through the woods and then slipped his hand in Bridget's and led her away from the camp. Snow dusted the cold ground and Bridget pulled her cloak around herself tighter, hoping that wherever Alistair was taking her was not too much further. Suddenly, she felt a change in the temperature. Instead of it being near freezing, the air still had a bit of a chill to it, but Bridget could tell that it was a lot warmer as well. She looked up into the trees to see the first rays of sunlight spilling in through the clouds and noticed that the icicles that were hanging off of the trees captured the sunlight beautifully and were like little daggers of diamonds. Bridget furrowed her brow.

"Do I hear a waterfall?" she asked.

Alistair looked over his shoulder at her.

"Well…I guess you could call it that. It's a bit of a small one though." He replied.

Before Bridget could ask what he meant, they rounded a corner and her question was lost in her throat. Bridget pushed her hood off of her head as she stepped forward. Alistair had taken her to a beautiful hot spring. A short cliff stood proudly towards the west and that was where the short waterfall was. It billowed out water and crashed delicately onto the large rocks beneath it. So far Bridget had thought that the Frostback Mountains were a dull and depressing place but seeing this, she corrected her previous thought. She smiled as Alistair came up behind her and placed his hands at her hips.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Bridget let her head rest back against his chest.

"It's breathtaking…" she replied softly.

Alistair dropped his hands and moved to stand in front of her. He smiled sweetly as he lifted his hand to caress the side of her face.

"Not nearly as breathtaking as you." He whispered.

Bridget smiled up at him and closed her eyes as he leaned in for a kiss. She moved her mouth against his slowly, savoring the moment, and sighed when he pulled away.

"I'm sorry you had such a bad dream…I hope this can make up for it." Alistair stated.

Bridget looked up at him.

"I just don't like the thought of either one of us…" she trailed off because she didn't want to finish the sentence.

Alistair grinned.

"You're as tough as nails, Bridget, it's going to take a lot to do you in, I'm sure. Me…well I think I'll fair alright as long as I have you beside me."

Bridget sighed as she ran her hands from his shoulders and down his chest.

"I just don't want to lose you…"

Alistair smiled and bumped his nose up against hers.

"You won't. I said before that nothing would keep me from you. I include the Blight in that as ridiculous as that sounds, but that's because I've just got this feeling that we'll both be alright."

Bridget swallowed and licked her lips. She knew she was probably going to regret asking her next question, it was utterly selfish of her to do so because it wasn't in Alistair's power to say he could but…

"You promise?" she asked softly.

Alistair lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers.

"On all that is good, I swear it." He replied before dipping his face to hers and claiming her mouth.

Bridget kissed him back, opening her mouth as his tongue teased her lips and allowing him full access. She had moved her legs back a bit, as Alistair had been moving forward and soon found her back against a tree. Some of the snow from the top had fallen once she had been pushed against it and landed on both of their heads. Alistair broke the kiss and shook the cold mess out while Bridget giggled and removed it from her own head. Despite what the others probably thought, they had in fact not made love the night before. They were going to until Alistair accidentally gripped Bridget's side and because she was so badly bruised there, he didn't want to hurt her any more than he already had. She tried to explain that she was fine but he was stubborn and refused. Bridget was feeling a lot better this morning though, despite the dream and all so she pulled him back to her and snaked her arms around his neck.

"Make love to me, Alistair." She huffed against his ear before flicking it with her tongue and adding a sweet kiss to the bottom of it.

He groaned softly and pulled back to look at her.

"You're sure you're up to it?" he asked.

Bridget looked at him.

"I was up to it last night but your stubborn self refused!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with a playful gleam.

He chuckled.

"Alright then, one steamy hot spring romp coming up!"

Bridget giggled as he kissed the corner of her mouth and along her jaw line and chin. He dropped his kisses lower, having to untie her cloak at her neck so he could get to her skin. Alistair lifted Bridget up with ease and lifted her higher against the tree. Bridget pushed up against him slightly, without meaning to, causing Alistair to step back a bit…and when he did they both went crashing down into the pile of snow. Bridget sat atop him and chuckled.

"Are you alright!?" she asked.

Alistair smiled up at her.

"Yes…the snow broke my fall. I'd never thought I'd be so happy for snow in my life but, yay snow!" he exclaimed.

Bridget laughed and lowered herself to his warm body. She kissed him deeply whilst running her hands down his shoulders and arms and across his chest. Alistair carefully ran his hands down her sides, making sure he wouldn't hit her bruise this time around. It wasn't long before he began to slip his hands under her shirt to gently touch her skin. Bridget broke the kiss and trailed her lips down to his neck while brushing her hands across his lower abdomen. She wasn't surprised when she found herself resting up against the snow with Alistair hovering over her in the next second, pinning her arms above her head so that she couldn't tease him with her quick fingers. Bridget moaned softly as Alistair nuzzled her neck and then sighed happily when he began to suck at her skin. He removed one of his hands from her wrist as he brought it to her chest to untie the laces there and expose her breasts. Bridget closed her eyes as his surprisingly warm hand clamped down on her left breast while his kisses were beginning to make their way there. She slightly arched her back at the callousness of his hand against her soft flesh.

"Alistair…?" she whispered a little breathless.

"Hmm?" he mumbled in return as he nuzzled his face into her chest.

He was distracting her from her question! Bridget nearly forgot it as his lips made their way across her breast and his tongue teased her mound. Before she was completely lost in the moment she managed to get out,

"Why are we rolling around in the cold snow when there's a perfectly warm hot spring sitting right over there?"

That got him to lift his head and smile crookedly.

"_That_ is an excellent question." He stated.

Alistair stood and helped Bridget stand as well and together they walked towards the hot spring. He turned to her once they stood at it's edge and pulled her tunic above her head. Alistair felt the familiar blush creep up his neck and fill his face as he swept his eyes over the top half of her body. He figured no matter how many times they did this, he'd still always blush over the fact that she was just so beautiful. Alistair noticed that Bridget was beginning to acquire her own battle scars, as a long one stretched down her right arm. A few short cuts were visible on her sides and then the awful bruise she had gotten on her left side from where the Broodmother had tossed her like a rag doll. Alistair caressed the side of her face and dipped his head towards hers. He claimed Bridget's lips with his in a slow, romantic kiss. Despite all of the scarring and bruises though, she was still the most beautiful woman to Alistair. He smiled against her lips as he felt her fingers at the waistband to his trousers again, pulling at the laces slowly. He broke the kiss and tugged his own shirt over his head and tossed it somewhere on the ground. When Alistair turned back around he noticed that Bridget had already removed the rest of her clothes as she was now wading out into the middle of the hot spring. He quickly did the same and followed her out towards the middle of the warm spring and wrapping his arms around her waist once he made it to her. Bridget's lips curved up into a small smile as she relaxed herself against Alistair's chest.

"I love you, Bridget. I feel as if I don't say it enough…but I do, I love you…"

Alistair whispered as get slowly ran his hands up her sides. Bridget closed her eyes as she felt his lips against her shoulder.

"I love you…" he mumbled against her skin.

He ran his thumbs beneath the swells of her breasts and then kneaded them in his large hands. Alistair turned her around and kissed the wing of her nose.

"I love you…"

He then moved his lips to the right side of her face.

"I love you…"

The left side was next.

"I love you…"

Then he dropped his gaze to her lips and ran his thumb against the bottom of it.

"I love you, Bridget. Always…" he whispered in a husky tone that made Bridget shiver in delight.

Alistair claimed her mouth again, only this kiss was all fire and passion. Bridget wrapped her arms around his neck as their tongues entwined in a dance that they were both familiar with. Alistair let his hands roam down her back and to her bottom. He gripped her tightly, causing Bridget to gasp against his lips, but then just push herself even closer to his chest. They broke the kiss briefly for a breath of air but returned to each other before long. Bridget opened her eyes as Alistair trailed his kisses down her neck. Her back now rested up against the side of the rock where the small water fall was. She didn't even realized they had moved! Her through vanished from her though as Alistair began to suckle at her breast like a newborn being fed. Bridget closed her eyes and bit her lip as she threaded her fingers through his hair. As Alistair continued to suckle at her right breast, he let his hand fall that had been occupying Bridget's left one and he slowly ran it down her abdomen. Alistair let the water envelop his hand as he continued to drop it lower until he found what he was looking for. Bridget arched towards him as she felt Alistair cup her womanhood. Alistair left her breast and trailed his kisses back up her neck as he began to tease her with his hand. Bridget squeezed his shoulders.

"Wicked man…" she huffed against his ear.

Alistair chuckled. His laughter didn't last long, however as Bridget trailed a finger down his length causing Alistair to suck in his breath.

Bridget smirked and said,

"I can be a tease too, you know."

Alistair rested his forehead against hers.

"Don't I? That constant sway to your hips drives me mad all day long…" he mumbled against her ear.

Bridget smiled at the tickling sensation of his breath. Alistair kissed the place just beneath her ear before removing his hand from her and moving it towards the back of her thigh. Alistair lifted Bridget against the smooth rock with ease. His lips claimed her swollen ones once again and he sucked on her bottom lip while moving his hips just a bit. Once they were positioned the right way, he gently moved forward and buried himself inside her. Bridget gripped his shoulders at the sensation and tightened her legs around his waist. Alistair wrapped his arms around her waist to pull Bridget as close as he could to himself as he continued to push forward into her depths and pull back out again.

"Oh Alistair…I love you…" she whispered against his ear breathlessly.

Bridget nuzzled his neck with her lips before trailing them upward and claiming his mouth in a deep kiss. She began to meet his thrusts in time and urged Alistair to move faster, quicker, she was so close…

Bridget arched towards him as Alistair's final thrust pushed her over the edge. She took Alistair with her, moaning as he spilled himself inside her. They both panted, their breath forming and disappearing just as quickly in the air.

"I promise you Bridget we will make it through this, together. Nothing will ever keep me from you, nothing…" Alistair stated as he gently lowered her back into the water.

Bridget kissed him and hugged him tightly, praying to the Maker that that promise could be kept.

That promise though, was not Alistair's to make…and in time they would both find that it would be very, _very_ difficult to keep…especially with the events that were to follow…

**A/N: **And here we are with another love scene. I feel a little bit better about this one, but my face is still as red as a tomato. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it!


	46. Chapter 45: Back to Redcliffe

Chapter 45

Back to Redcliffe

The journey back to Redcliffe was not a pleasant one. Snow and ice fell heavily from the sky. Because of the terrible weather, getting back to Redcliffe in a timely manner was completely impossible. The days began to stretch into weeks and Bridget feared for Arl Eamon's condition. Perhaps they should have gone straight there after finding the Ashes. After about two weeks of enduring blizzard like conditions, however, they finally saw Redcliffe Castle in the near distance, towering over the quiet little village. Bridget urged the others to move quickly, that way they could take shelter within the castle and warm up. As they entered the village, Bridget noticed that all of the shops were closed as everyone had taken to their homes to get out of the storm. She placed a hand on her head to keep her hood from falling back as a powerful gust of wind whipped past her, causing her to shiver so much that her teeth clattered. They quickly made their way across the bridge and up the hill towards the castle. The guards who were posted at the front gate looked relieved as they saw Bridget and the rest of her party approaching the gates. They immediately were allowed entrance into the castle and as soon as they stepped foot inside, Teagan rushed towards them.

"Thank the Maker, did you find the Ashes?" He asked his voice full of worry.

Isolde was next to him, wringing her hands together, with shining eyes full of hope. Bridget reached into her pack and pulled out a small leather pouch. Isolde burst into tears as Teagan released a heavy sigh of relief. He beckoned the others to follow as he made his way towards Eamon's sickbed, Isolde right at his heels. Upon entering the room, Irving turned and lit up as he noticed the small pouch. He walked towards Teagan, as did a brother from the castle's Chantry.

"You found it?" Irving asked in astonishment.

Bridget nodded. The brother took her hands in his.

"Maker bless you, child. You have done a great thing."

Teagan handed Irving the Ashes who walked over towards Eamon. He gently pulled at the strings to open the small pouch.

"Lady Isolde, if you would hold Eamon's head up just a bit?" Irving asked.

She hurried over towards him and sat on the side of the bed, gently lifting Eamon's head. She opened his mouth ever so slightly, just enough to let Irving pour the Ashes in. Irving stepped back as Isolde closed Eamon's mouth. Bridget noticed the older man grimace before his body was enveloped in a purple like glow. She looked to Isolde to see her eyes widen. They were filled with fear, and hope. Just as quickly as the aura was produced, it vanished. Everyone sucked in a breath and held it unknowingly. If this didn't work, if the Ashes did not cure Eamon…Fereldan would certainly fall. Seconds stretched into minutes, and still Eamon had not yet come too. Isolde's eyes filled with tears. She bowed her head as she stroked some of Eamon's hair, whispering a soft prayer to the Maker.

Bridget looked over at Alistair. The look on his face broke her heart. He looked as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff, about to fall if Eamon didn't open his eyes. She slipped her hand in his and bowed her own head. They had failed…Eamon was dead.

Suddenly a rasping gasp filled the air. Bridget shot her head up and looked at Eamon. Isolde nearly fell from the bed from shock. She stood and bent over him, holding the side of his face.

"Eamon, Eamon?" she shouted frantically.

Alistair squeezed Bridget's hand, but relaxed his grip as Eamon's brows drew together and his eyes fluttered open.

"Ugh wha-where am I?" he asked in a raspy voice.

He turned his head to see Isolde standing over him, shaking with sobs.

"Isolde? W-why are you crying? Where is my b-boy? Where's Connor?" he asked.

Teagan stepped forward to stand next to Isolde.

"There is much that you do not know, Eamon. You have been on your deathbed for quite a while."

Eamon looked utterly confused.

"My deathbed? What are you talking about?" he asked.

Teagan turned to the others as Isolde tried to calm Eamon down.

"I will explain everything to him my friends, for now you should go and rest. Mina will show you all to the extra rooms."

Bridget nodded and followed the elven servant out of Eamon's quarters. She showed each of them to a separate room before going back to finishing her previous task. Bridget entered her room and closed the door behind her, resting her back against the wood and sighing tiredly. She felt as if a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders and could finally breathe a little easy again. Bridget spotted a nearby tub and removed her freezing cold armor hastily, ready to let the warmth of the water soothe her chilled bones. She rested her back against the tub and let her thoughts wander. She hated to admit it but things would only get more complicated from here, that was for sure. Now that Eamon was well again, he'd be back to his old self in a few days time, and then the real trouble began: How to stop Loghain from causing a civil war. Bridget shook her head to rid herself of the thought for now, wanting to enjoy this quiet moment of solitude. Her relaxation was brought to an end a few moments later as Zeus began clawing at her door. Bridget chuckled to herself and stood from the tub, grabbed a towel and dried herself before pulling on the shift and robe Mina had laid out for her. She opened her door to see Zeus tilting his head up at her while wagging his tail ferociously. Bridget opened the door wider to let him in and turned towards her mabari as he settled himself amidst the fur blankets upon her bed.

"You know, I was just leaving to go and see Alistair." She said to him.

Zeus yawned and nuzzled further into the blankets anyway. Bridget shrugged and walked to her pack. She picked it up and reached inside it.

_I know I pulled it out of my journal earlier…ah! There it is!_ She thought.

She slipped the object into her pocket and walked towards the door again, closing it gently behind her. Bridget looked down the hallway to see that most of everyone was probably turning in for the night. She quietly made her way towards Alistair's room, lightly knocking against the door before poking her head in. Alistair turned towards her from the chair he was sitting in and beckoned her to come in. Bridget did so and closed the door. She turned to see Alistair standing in front of her.

"Have I told you how amazing you are?" he asked as he pulled her into a tight hug.

Bridget tipped her head to the side.

"Not recently no. And by recently I mean a day or two." She chuckled.

Alistair pulled back and pushed a lock of her damp hair behind her ear.

"I'm so glad Eamon's alright. Now we have a real chance against Loghain. Eamon can take the throne, and then we'd just have to deal with that pesky Arch Demon."

Bridget laughed as Alistair turned and walked back towards the chair he had pulled in front of the fireplace. He sat down in it and stretched out his legs, sighing tiredly. Bridget walked over towards him and sat in his lap. Alistair smiled and touched his mother's pendant that rested itself against Bridget's collar.

"You never take this off, do you?" he asked softly.

Bridget shook her head.

"Nope!" she replied as she gently kissed him.

Alistair smiled against her lips and kissed her back. Bridget pulled away.

"Oh I almost forgot, I have something for you."

Alistair raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What might that be?" he asked.

Bridget grinned.

"Close your eyes." She whispered.

Alistair didn't hesitate. He did however; furrow his brow as he felt Bridget tie something to his wrist. When she said to open his eyes, he did and stared at his wrist quizzically. On it, Bridget had tied a sky blue, silk ribbon. Alistair looked at it and then back at Bridget who chuckled at his perplexed gaze.

"This ribbon has been with me forever. My mother gave it to me when I was very young. I-you've given me something special to you so…I wanted to return the favor by giving this to you."

Alistair's eyes widened.

"Are you sure? This sounds really important to you,"

Bridget placed a finger to his lips and shook her head.

"Yes, I want you to have it."

Alistair smiled as Bridget removed her finger from his lips.

"Then I'll never take it off." He whispered softly before leaning forward and claiming her mouth in a slow kiss.

Bridget tilted her head to the side and wrapped her arms loosely around Alistair's neck, deepening the kiss and letting her tongue slip across his lips. The kiss broke a moment later and Alistair caressed the side of Bridget's face. With the fire flickering it's light in the fireplace, it seemed to make Bridget's hair glow. Alistair claimed her lips again as he moved his hand down from her face to her shoulder, pushing off her robe in the process. Suddenly the door flew open causing both of them to break the kiss. They both quickly stood and turned to see Teagan at the doorway.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. Eamon wishes to see you both…" he said awkwardly.

They both nodded and walked past Teagan and back towards Eamon's quarters. Once there they found Eamon sitting in a chair, still a bit pale but the color was slowly coming back to his face.

"I cannot thank you enough, Bridget for all that you have done. You saved my son when the easiest option was to…well, you found a legend for my sake…I honestly cannot thank you enough." He said.

Bridget smiled.

"You are very much welcome, Arl Eamon." She replied before dropping into a bow.

Eamon nodded.

"After all this business is over, I'll see to it personally that you regain your Teyrnir."

Bridget bowed again before standing straight. Eamon cast his eyes on Alistair. He looked as if he were about to say something, but instead he just shook his head and looked into his lap.

"I am sure you know of the trouble that Loghain is causing. I will have to call for a Landsmeet, it is our only option."

Alistair nodded.

"I think you'll make a fine king, Eamon." He stated.

Eamon looked up at him.

"I cannot be king, Alistair." He replied.

Alistair widened his eyes.

"W-what do you mean? You were Cailan's uncle!" he exclaimed.

Eamon nodded.

"Yes that is true, but Loghain I'm sure would paint me in the light of an opportunist. We need someone who has a stronger hold to the throne. Someone who _carries_ the royal blood." He stated.

Bridget looked up at Alistair and then at Eamon. Before she could voice her opinion, Eamon stood.

"We will speak more of this when the time comes, for now, I need my rest."

Bridget and Alistair were quiet on the way back to Alistair's room. She glanced up at him to see that he looked deeply troubled. She followed him back into his room and closed the door behind her. Alistair sighed.

"I-I can't be king, I don't know the first _thing_ about running a country!" he exclaimed.

Bridget drew her brows together and walked up to him, hugging him tightly.

"Shh…sweetheart, it'll be alright. Maybe we can just leave Anora on the throne?  
>she suggested.<p>

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"You know, that's not really a bad idea. After all, a lot of people said that she was the one who truly ruled Fereldan. Although, what would be her thoughts on her father though?" he asked.

Bridget looked at him.

"Surely she suspects _something_ of him. He was the one who was responsible for her husband's death, after all." She stated.

Alistair sighed. He still didn't look convinced. Bridget stood to her toes and placed a sweet kiss on the wing of his nose.

"Don't let it bother you for now, darling. We're all too tired to think straight on the situation as it is anyhow." She whispered.

Alistair nodded. Bridget kissed him once again and turned to leave before Alistair caught her hips.

"Stay?" he asked softly.

Bridget looked over her shoulder at him.

"Well, Zeus pretty much has taken over my bed…" she said as she remembered him sprawling out on the covers earlier.

Alistair smiled as Bridget turned back towards him.

"Maybe somebody will knock next time when they need us." She chuckled.

Alistair laughed and nodded. Bridget could still see the worry in his eyes, however. They both walked towards the bed and snuggled up close to one another once under the covers. Bridget noticed Alistair held to her a bit tighter than he normally did, as she rested her back against his chest and he had draped an arm over her waist. She held his hand and drew her brows together, worrying herself what the next day would bring and how soon they would have to go back to Denerim and finally face Loghain.

A/N: _Ugh sorry again for the delayed update. I've had a hard time trying to find time to write with all the cleaning/present wrapping going on. This will probably be the last update before Christmas so I want to wish everyone now a very Happy Holiday! Thank you all again for your continued reading/reviewing! I hope your celebrations are as awesome as you are! :) Happy Holidays!_


	47. Chapter 46: Denerim

Chapter 46

Denerim

Eamon sat by the fire again later that evening with his brows drawn together. He stared into the flickering light as he pondered over everything. Loghain, Alistair, the Blight, he was quite sure things were going to get complicated from here on out. He looked up briefly as Teagan entered the room carrying a cup of tea over towards him. He set it down on the table in front of him and took the seat across from his.

"Drink it, Eamon. It will help you feel better." He stated.

Eamon did so half-heartedly. Teagan lifted his own tea cup to his lips and worriedly noticed Eamon's troubled face. He furrowed his brow as he set his cup back down and asked,

"Is something the matter, brother?"

Eamon sighed and set the tea cup back on the table.

"Of course there is. I wake up to find Fereldan in turmoil, on the brink of civil war while a Blight is occurring. Not only that but my son is a mage _and_ the man who is the only surviving member of the Therin blood line doesn't want to take up his responsibility. So yes Teagan, something is wrong." Eamon snapped.

Teagan looked at his brother and shook his head.

"Eamon…you cannot blame Alistair for being afraid of taking his responsibility. He knows nothing of politics and nobility having grown up in a Chantry! If I were in his place, I would be scared as well!

Eamon sat back against his chair.

"I agree, it is a frightening aspect but this is his destiny. Alistair has always known what being Maric's son meant. Despite his personal feelings on the issue he still has a responsibility."

Teagan raised his eyebrows.

"Have you even considered what this would mean? If Alistair takes the throne and makes Bridget his queen, it will look as if you are trying to place Fereldan in control of the Grey Wardens."

Eamon snapped his head up from his tea and looked at Teagan.

"Why would he make _her_ his queen?" he asked.

Teagan blinked.

"Well...they are a couple. In fact earlier, when you sent me to get them I…I walked in on them."

Eamon's eyes widened.

"Where they…?"

Teagan shook his head.

"No, they were just sharing a simple kiss by the fire."

Eamon folded his hands in front of his face and rested his chin on them.

"I guess that would explain why they were so comfortable standing here in their nightclothes together. Do you think they have already…?"

Teagan shrugged.

"I haven't the slightest idea. Why does this matter so much at any rate?"

Eamon closed his eyes.

"Leave me be Teagan, please. I need to rest."

Teagan opened his mouth to reply but closed it and stood. He bowed respectfully before exiting the room, a worrisome feeling burying itself in the pit of his stomach as he walked away.

Meanwhile, Bridget slowly opened her eyes as Alistair, for the umpteenth time that night rolled over and sat up once again. The wind howled outside as the blizzard continued. Bridget rubbed her eyes as she slowly sat up behind him, sitting on her knees and placing her hands on his back. Alistair lifted his head at her touch.

"Did I wake you?" he whispered.

Bridget shook her head and sighed.

"No." she replied as she yawned.

Alistair gave her a small smile.

"You're a terrible liar." He replied.

Bridget shrugged as she ran her hands down his arms and back up to his shoulders, rubbing out all of the tight knots she felt along the way.

"What's wrong, Alistair?" she asked softly, her breath tickling the back of his neck.

Alistair sighed.

"I'm just worried…"

Bridget gently placed her lips to his shoulder.

"What did I tell you earlier?" she whispered.

He looked over his shoulder at her and shook his head.

"I know…I just can't help it." He replied softly.

Bridget tipped her head to the side.

"Come here." She stated.

Alistair watched as she lay back against the bed, holding her arms out towards him. He moved back and settled himself in her embrace and Bridget ran her fingers through his hair as he rested his head against her chest. Bridget's heartbeat thumped in Alistair's ear.

"Whenever I was scared or worried about something when I was little, my mother always took me in her arms and let me rest my ear against her chest. Hearing her heartbeat always calmed me down and made me forget what it was I was so worried about…"

Alistair closed his eyes as he listened to Bridget's words and the continual thump of her heart. He was beginning to feel his lids become heavy. Bridget smiled.

"I knew it would work." She whispered.

Alistair chuckled softly. Bridget's own eyes grew heavy once again as well.

"Thank you." Alistair said.

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"For what?" she asked softly.

Alistair smiled.

"For just being you." He replied.

Bridget smiled and rested her head back against the pillows. They both finally drifted off into a sound sleep moments later. And it was a good thing that they did for they would need all the energy they had to make preparations in the morning to set off to Denerim.

The following days at Eamon's castle were filled with scurrying feet and confusion. They _had_ to get to Denerim as soon as possible, despite the terrible weather. Each day that went by was another day Loghain came closer to snatching the throne. Eamon had his workers fill two wagons with supplies. The road was perilous in all the snow, but Loghain wasn't slowing down do to the weather and neither were they. He was grateful for the help that Bridget and the others gave his workers. With extra sets of hands, they could be off by morning at least. Eamon watched Bridget and Alistair's interactions carefully. He sighed. It was quite apparent that the two were very close…

_And here I didn't think things could get worse…_Eamon thought to himself.

By that night, all the wagons were loaded with the necessary items to make the trip to Denerim. Eamon was to hold a feast later on, so Bridget and the others changed into more formal attire. Isolde lent her one of her dresses and Bridget changed into it. She decided to wear her hair long, since Alistair liked it that way and stared at herself in the mirror. She raised her eyebrows at her reflection.

"It's certainly been a while since I dressed like this." She noted.

Bridget exited her room and found Alistair about to knock on her door. They walked to the dining hall together and sat next to each other once there. Over the feast, everyone laughed and talked and for a moment everything was peaceful. Bridget let herself forget Loghain and the Blight and just enjoyed the time she had with her friends. She did keep feeling eyes on her though and more than once caught herself in Eamon's scrutinizing gaze. What was even more unsettling was the fact that Bridget was the one who always had to look away. She didn't understand what she had done to deserve that look…had she not just brought this man from the brink of death itself? Bridget furrowed her brow as she returned to her food. As the merrymaking dwindled down and everyone began to head off to their rooms, Bridget followed Alistair out of the dining hall and down the accompanying hallway. Alistair smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You look stunning tonight." He whispered.

Bridget looked up at him.

"Eamon was staring at me…" she said.

Alistair chuckled.

"Well of course he was! You were the most beautiful woman in there! Oh I bet Isolde is just regretting having let you borrow that dress." He replied.

Bridget shook her head.

"No I don't mean like that…he looked like he was angry at me or something. I don't know what I could have possibly done to offend him. I practically saved his entire family!" she exclaimed.

Alistair shrugged.

"Maybe he's just jealous. After all, you're such a beautiful amazing woman and all he has is Isolde…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Ouch…I think that's the meanest thing I've ever heard you say!"

Alistair smiled.

"Well it's the truth. Every other woman on the face of Thedas pales in comparison to you." He replied, his voice getting a bit husky.

Bridget smirked.

"Boy you really want to make love to me tonight don't you?" she asked.

Alistair laughed.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't complain if we did! After all…it's been a while."

Bridget looked at him.

"Your definition of while and my definition of while must vastly differ." She snorted.

Alistair grinned as he bent down to kiss his love sweetly. Bridget kissed him back, glad that he wasn't worried like he was the night before. Her thoughts left her though as his hand slowly moved towards her breast. Alistair broke the kiss and trailed his lips to her neck, gently nipping at her flesh.

"Ahem."

Bridget and Alistair broke apart quickly to find Eamon standing not too far away. He blinked.

"Please refrain from such acts in the middle of my hallway." He said as he motioned towards them both.

Alistair looked down to see that his hand was still holding Bridget's breast. He dropped it quickly and cleared his throat as his face burned in embarrassment. Eamon walked past them without giving them a second look. He did however stop at the bottom of the staircase to say,

"We are leaving fairly early in the morning. You two may want to sleep apart so that you can at least get some sleep."

Bridget and Alistair watched as he climbed the staircase and didn't say anything until they heard his bedroom door close.

"You see what I mean?" Bridget asked.

Alistair turned his attention back to her and shook his head.

"Eamon's a traditional type, that's all, I'm sure."

Bridget sighed.

"Maybe you're right. At any rate perhaps we should sleep separately if we want any sleep at all…"

Alistair pouted.

"Yes I do suppose that would be wise…"

Bridget smiled up at him and kissed him slowly.

"Goodnight." She whispered as she pulled away.

Alistair watched as she walked away and to her own room. He turned to go to his but turned back around and walked towards Bridget's room instead. He opened the door to find her standing by the bed with her hands on her hips.

"I knew you were coming." She giggled as Alistair closed the door behind him and closed the space in between them…

The days of traveling that followed were absolutely terrible. The weather had not changed in their favor at all, if anything it had just gotten worse. The roads were completely iced over as the snow was nearly knee deep. It was even worse at night. It was colder and the fires that they built were always blown out from the wind. It was a full week before Denerim finally came into view. Eamon warned them before entering the capital city that Loghain would most likely greet them in someway. He advised everyone too keep their hoods up and their scarves around their faces. Sure enough not five minutes passed after entering Eamon's estate did Loghain barge in and approach them. Bridget kept her eyes low as the men exchanged forced pleasantries. She could feel Alistair tense next to her and ever so slightly moved a bit closer to him. Soon Loghain turned to leave before another set of footsteps entered the room.

"Ah Eamon, you remember the Arl of Amaranthine."

Bridget's head snapped up. A chill that had nothing to do with the cold weather entered her body and traversed through her blood. Howe stood not three feet ahead of her looking smug and proud.

"I believe you also mean the Arl of Denerim as well, good friend. Tragic what happened to old what's his name…and then the fact that his own son was nowhere to be found…"

Eamon pursed his lips together.

"How very fortunate that _you_ replaced him." he said, sarcasm ringing in his voice.

Howe drew his eyes over him and narrowed them.

"Indeed…I am also the new Teyrn of Highever. So sad that the entire Cousland line was wiped out in that terrible fire...Bryce left everything to me."

Eamon raised his eyebrows.

"I find that very interesting that he would leave his entire Teyrnir to you of all people. One finds it odd how you would know this if all documents and anything related to the Couslands went up in smoke."

Bridget swallowed and clenched her fists. It was all she could do to hold herself back. Howe ignored Eamon's remark completely and instead swept his eyes over Bridget and the others. She quickly bowed her head so that they would not make eye contact. Howe, unfortunately noticed this and tipped his head to the side.

"Why do your soldiers keep their hoods on while inside? That is rather rude, don't you think. And I also saw none of them bow to Loghain or myself…what type of dogs do you breed, Eamon? Surely they have at least some training."

Bridget narrowed her eyes. She was _not_ bowing to this man. Luckily for her, Loghain intervened.

"Let the heathens be, Howe. You and I have business to attend to."

He turned his dark eyes back on Eamon.

"I suppose I will see you at this silly Landsmeet of yours. Why you would bother with calling all those nobles while we are in the middle of a Blight is beyond me."

Eamon said nothing as Loghain and Howe turned and left. Once the door closed behind them, Bridget let out a long breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Alistair turned to her and took her hand in his. Eamon turned back around and sighed.

"I was not aware that Howe is also the new Arl of Denerim. This could be problematic. I'm sure he had something to do with this, as well as the disappearance of the rightful heir to the throne, Vaughn."

Eamon rubbed his forehead and shook his head.

"Let's get settled for now. Perhaps you may wish to explore the market place, see which nobles have already arrived. Maybe dip your feet in the water and see just how much favor Loghain currently has. Maker help us that he doesn't have a lot…"

With that, Eamon and Teagan walked past Bridget and the others, talking quietly in hushed tones. Zevran walked up to Bridget.

"Was that the man who was responsible for your family's death?" he asked.

She nodded as Alistair pulled her into a hug. Zevran narrowed his eyes.

"We will see to it that he is dealt with, Bridget." He stated.

Bridget shook her head.

"No, if anyone's going to kill him, it's going to be me." She replied.

She broke free of Alistair's hug and walked over to the nearby window.

"Howe is _mine_." She stated in a tight voice.

Oghren nodded.

"There's nothing like revenge." He said in a gruff voice.

As the others walked off to begin to put away their things and find their rooms, Alistair walked towards Bridget and stood behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders as she turned towards him, her eyes glistening slightly.

"I need you with me Alistair, when I face him. I…I can't do it without you."

Alistair nodded and kissed her deeply. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else than by your side."

Bridget licked her lips and rested her head against his chest as Alistair pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't know when she would face Howe but knew that it would be soon. In fact…it would be sooner than she thought.

A/N: _Whew! I'm so sorry for the delayed update. I've had hardly no time at all to write as my second semester of school is starting soon and I've been trying to get things sorted out for that. Why does college have to be so expensive! WHY! Anyways, I really, really hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Stay tuned, things are going to get pretty heavy coming up! As always thank you so much for reading (and I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter out quicker!) :)_


	48. Chapter 47: Questions and Decisions

Chapter 47

Questions and Decisions

Nightmares plagued Bridget's sleep once again. She figured as much after seeing Howe face to face again. All night she tossed and turned, sat up, rolled over, until finally she just gave up on sleep altogether. To make matters worse, it was made quite clear to everyone that _no one_ was allowed to share a room, meaning that Bridget was all alone, except for Zeus who laid curled up at the foot of her bed, sleeping soundly. Bridget, despite her exhaustion and headache that had formed throughout her quest for sleep, smiled at Zeus and scratched his ears. He twitched a bit but remained sound asleep. Bridget sighed as she drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. She turned her head to the window to watch the snow fall outside. Thankfully, it was not a blizzard, but the snow was still falling in vast amounts. The wind whipped and whirled outside. Just the sounds of it made Bridget's skin become bumpy with gooseflesh, despite how warm her room was. Bridget lay back against the pillows for the umpteenth time and crossed her arms over her chest. She let her thoughts consume her as she stared at the wall across the room. What she wouldn't give to have her old life back. Seeing Howe resurfaced Bridget's memories from before, back when her life was normal and an entire nation didn't depend on her every decision. A sad smile spread across her face as she thought of Orhen, who would've turned nine tomorrow if only she could have protected him. Bridget sighed and closed her eyes once again. For a moment, she thought she may actually be drifting off to sleep, up until she felt a wet something slide up her cheek. Bridget opened one eye to stare at Zeus who was now awake and sitting beside her, his tail thumping hard against the mattress. Bridget smiled at him and petted his head again.

"What has you up all of a sudden? You looked so peaceful a moment ago." She stated.

Zeus tipped his head to the side as if to contemplate the question before licking the side of Bridget's face again. Bridget chuckled and scratched his ears again. She made it a point to play fetch with him in the morning, that way at least someone could have some fun.

As soon as Bridget woke up in the morning though, she realized she would have to postpone her playtime with Zeus.

_xXx_

Bridget sprinted through the halls of Eamon's estate as quickly as she could while trying to lace her boots. She had been called on to see him immediately that morning, so she washed up as quickly as possible and went on her way with Zeus at her heels. Upon entering the room, Bridget noticed that Alistair was already there along with her other friends, except for Oghren, who trudged in a few minutes later, stuffing a flask into his pack. Eamon emerged from a side room with a petite elf following him in his wake. Her hair was dark and pulled back in a ponytail. Bridget studied her face; the elf looked worried about something. Eamon cleared his throat to quiet down Zevran who was having an animated conversation with Leliana. Eamon turned to face Bridget, looking grim.

"Anora is being held captive."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"By her own _father_?" she asked in disbelief.

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"How far is Loghain willing to go?" he asked slowly, afraid of the answer himself.

Eamon shifted to the side as the elf stepped forward.

"This is Erlina, Anora's personal maid."

Erlina stepped forward and swallowed.

"You must help my lady; she has done nothing wrong and yet suffers at the hands of others! She is being held at the Arl of Denrim's estate, if we hurry, we can sneak in while the workers are busy!"

Leliana shook her head.

"Wait, how can we even trust you? What if all of this is just an elaborate trap?" she asked slowly.

Erlina looked taken aback.

"Why would you even think this? My lady is good and loving, she does not belong locked up in a room!"

Before Leliana could reply, Eamon cleared his throat.

"Erlina, if you would please wait outside a moment while I confer with the Grey Wardens…" he stated.

She nodded and scuttled out of the room. Once the door was closed, Eamon turned his eyes to Bridget.

"This may very well be a trap, but if we did rescue Anora, we could use her voice in the Landsmeet."

Alistair narrowed his eyes.

"Who's to say she won't just stick up for her father?" he asked.

Eamon shook his head.

"No one is saying that, however, if we are the ones to rescue her, no doubt she will find some way of returning the favor. If we persuade her to stand against Loghain at the Landsmeet, since she is the beloved queen, others will certainly follow."

Bridget remained quiet. None of this mattered to her at the moment. The one thing that stuck out in her mind was what Erlina had said, that Anora was being held in the _Arl of Denerim's_ estate. Howe was the Arl of Denerim…

"We will save her." Bridget stated.

Everyone slowly turned to her. Eamon looked quite surprised himself.

"If saving her gains us her voice in the Landsmeet, we have no choice." She said quietly.

Eamon nodded.

"I thought the very same thing."

Bridget turned to her friends.

"Alright, Alistair I need you and,"

Eamon shook his head.

"I need Alistair to remain here."

Both Bridget and Alistair turned to him with a simultaneous, "What?"

Eamon cleared his throat.

"We have things that must be discussed. I am sorry but I need to speak to him _now_."

Alistair opened his mouth to protest, but whatever he was going to say died in his throat with a stern look from Eamon. He turned back to Bridget and pulled her off to the side as the others decided who would go with her.

"Damn him, I need you with me!" she whispered.

Alistair sighed.

"I've no idea what he wants to discuss, the thought of it just puts me on the edge. I would rather go with you, but Bridget, I know that you can face Howe yourself."

Bridget darted her eyes up at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Alistair pushed a piece of her hair that had fallen from her bun behind her ear and replied,

"You are strong, cunning, and fast. Howe does not stand a chance against you. You will beat him and you will finally be at peace with your revenge."

Bridget sighed.

"I would feel much better if you were with me though, Alistair. We haven't separated since the first day we met." She said softly.

Alistair rested his forehead against hers and nodded.

"I know…I feel out of place staying behind. You will defeat him though, I just know you will."

Bridget took a deep breath before leaning up and kissing Alistair tenderly. She held onto him tightly before breaking the kiss.

"I love you." She whispered.

Alistair pulled her into a tight hug.

"I love you too."

After a moment, Bridget pulled away and turned back to her friends that decided to tag along on the rescue mission. Zevran stood at the ready, as did Oghren and Morrigan. Bridget was a little surprised that Morrigan wished to tag along, but the mage simply replied,

"I want to help you seek out your vengeance."

Bridget smiled at her, thankful for her help. She glanced over her shoulder at Alistair as she and the others left the room. Down the stairs, Erlina was waiting nervously. Upon seeing Bridget and her party, her eyes lit up.

"You will help us?" she asked in disbelief.

Bridget nodded.

"Let's go save the queen."

_xXx_

Alistair sat in Eamon's office near the warmth of the fireplace. He sipped on his tea slowly, savoring the warm liquid as it warmed his chilled bones. Despite the calming atmosphere of the room, Alistair was anything but. His thoughts kept wandering to Bridget and his friends, wondering how far they had gotten and if they had run into Howe yet. For the sake of the Maker Alistair would rather be with them then sitting in the stuffy room he was currently occupying. What Eamon wished to discuss with him, he had absolutely no idea, but really wished the man would get on with it. Eamon emerged from another room at that moment, startling Alistair ever so slightly, and sat down across from him at his desk.

"I am sorry that I had to keep you away from the task…but we must speak, Alistair. This cannot wait."

Alistair frowned. He already had a pretty good idea where this was going…and he didn't like it already.

"I already know what this is going to be about." He stated.

Eamon looked at him.

"Alistair…I _cannot_ take the throne. The only reason I am even related to the Therins is through marriage. My sister married your father…that's it."

Alistair narrowed his eyes.

"I still don't understand why you can't be king! Who cares if you're only related by marriage, nobody even _knows_ that I'm Maric's son. The only people who know are you, and Bridget,"

"And the rest of your friends." Eamon stated before Alistair could finish.

Alistair closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes.

"Why not just leave Anora on the throne. Everyone always said she was the one who was ruling the country, not Cailan." He suggested.

Eamon's eyes widened.

"Would you really feel comfortable leaving the daughter of the man that killed nearly an entire army on the throne?"

Alistair opened his mouth to reply, but shut it and remained quiet. He couldn't be king…there was just no way. What he said next though was the last thing Eamon wanted to hear.

"Maybe she's not like her father."

Eamon stood and slammed his fist against the table.

"Dammit Alistair listen to yourself! You would rather place the daughter of the man that betrayed your entire country, your _home_? Grow up and live up to the responsibility that has been placed upon you!"

Alistair drew his brows together as he stared up at Eamon. The kind man that he once knew was now a completely different person. If this is what the stress of being of nobility placed upon someone, he wanted no part of it. However, what Eamon said did ring true…it _was_ his responsibility to take the throne, regardless of whether or not he wanted it because he was a Therin.

Eamon drew his brows together and sighed as he slowly sat back down in his chair. Silence consumed them for quite some time before Eamon said,

"I am sorry…I was out of line."

Alistair shook his head. They were silent a few more minutes before Eamon began to speak again.

"There is also the matter of your relations with Bridget…" he stated.

Alistair's head shot up.

"What has that got to do with anything? She is a noble, if I do become king, she can be my queen. Maker knows she has more experience with politics that I ever will."

Eamon pursed his lips together.

"Your relationship with her is more serious than you think. Alistair, if you do become king, you will be expected to produce an heir to the throne."

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"So? What has that got to do with any of this?" he asked.

Eamon raised his eyebrows. Could he truly not know? Eamon stood from his desk and walked over towards the fire place.

"Alistair, how long have you been sleeping with her?" he asked.

Alistair felt his face flush.

"That's really personal you know,"

Eamon turned around and stared at him.

"Think about it. If you have been together with Bridget for this long, and she has not become pregnant…what is that telling you?"

Alistair frowned as he pondered Eamon's question. He and Bridget weren't even _trying_ to have a baby, not with the Blight going on! Seeing Alistair's confused expression caused Eamon to let out a heavy sigh.

"Alistair, you are a Grey Warden. Bridget is a Grey Warden. The taint is in both of your bloodstreams. It would be impossible for you two to have a child together."

Alistair's eyes widened at Eamon's words. Now that he mentioned it, Alistair remembered Duncan saying something of the very same nature:

"_It's already difficult enough when one person is a Grey Warden, but for both? I don't think conception is even a possibility."_

Alistair slowly looked up at Eamon as he made this realization.

"What are you saying, then?" he asked.

Eamon turned back to the fire and sighed as he placed his hands behind his back.

"You cannot make Bridget your queen if you become king."

Alistair stood immediately and shook his head.

"No, you ask too much of me. First you want to place me in a position of the highest authority when I don't know the first thing about it, and now you want me to…no I cannot, I _will not._ I love Bridget with all of my being…"

Eamon clenched his jaw as he turned around.

"You are selfish!" he exclaimed.

Alistair's eyes widened.

"How am _I_ selfish?" he asked, his voice rising to match Eamon's.

Eamon rolled his eyes.

"Alistair, your entire country is at stake here and you are willing to throw it away just because of one _woman_?"

Alistair shook his head.

"She's not just a _woman_, Eamon. She's the most incredible person I've ever met, I,"

Eamon narrowed his eyes.

"You are nothing but a child in a man's body. I thought being raised in the Chantry, they would have taught you to let go of materialistic things to take up responsibility but I suppose I was wrong!" he shouted.

Alistair swallowed and looked at Eamon who looked positively furious at this point.

"You need to ask yourself this, Alistair, what is more important here? An entire country full of people…or a simple fancy of your heart." He snapped.

Alistair opened his mouth but closed it. His mind was trying to process everything Eamon had just said. Now that he was beginning to contemplate certain aspects of the things he was just told…

Alistair did not know how to answer Eamon's question.

A/N: _Ugh guys I apologize for this incredibly late update, I've had computer issues up the wazoo to the point where I didn't even have a word program anymore. Thankfully though, everything is fixed. Hopefully the next update will be here soon, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, it was very difficult to write…anyway, thanks for continuing to read! :)_


	49. Chapter 48: Saving the Queen

Chapter 48

Saving the Queen

Bridget felt completely out of place without Alistair by her side. In fact, she thought the others missed him too, well except for Morrigan of course. Without Alistair to tease, Zevran and Oghren hardly said anything as they made their way through the crowded streets of Denerim, trying to get to Howe's new estate. Bridget stayed quiet as well. She couldn't help but wonder what Eamon wanted to talk to Alistair about…but had a pretty good feeling that it was something to do with being king. Bridget just hoped that he wouldn't listen to what Eamon had to say…if Alistair didn't want to be king, then Eamon should respect his decision and find someone else to place the burden on. She sighed and looked up into the cloudy sky, blinking away the snowflakes that fell into her eyes. The snow crunched beneath their feet as they progressed through the busy streets. After swerving through crowds of people, and Morrigan threatening to turn all of the shoppers into toads so that they could reach their destination a little more easily, Bridget decided to travel down back alleys instead of the main way.

This of course would prove to be a very bad idea.

As she led the others down another back alley, Bridget noted that things seemed to be a little quiet. This quiet however, was not a welcomed one. It made her feel a little uneasy. She pulled out her map of the capital of Fereldan and stepped to the side to scan over it. Howe's estate was towards the far east of Denerim and according to the map another market was directly in front of it. If that was so, why hadn't she heard the merchants persuading the morning shoppers to buy their wares? Bridget squinted her eyes and scanned the map a little more closely. She honestly hoped she hadn't gotten them all lost, time was of the essence. Every minute that slipped by was another where Anora could be potentially harmed. Bridget sighed heavily.

"I think we took a wrong turn." She said sadly.

Morrigan through her arms up in frustration.

"Well isn't this brilliant! Now we have to stay in the freezing weather even longer. How wonderful."

Bridget looked at her.

"You're the one that wanted to come." She retorted.

Morrigan crossed her arms.

"Yes, but I had full faith in you that you could get us to our destination before sundown!" she exclaimed.

Oghren rolled his eyes and reached up to grab the map from Bridget's hands.

"Don't get your knickers in a knot." He grumbled as he looked over the map.

They all stood quiet a moment as Oghren read. He furrowed his brow.

"How the hell are you supposed to read this thing? Looks like a bunch of lines all going in different directions if you ask me!"

Zevran cleared his throat and lifted the map from Oghren's stubby hands. He turned it the right way and returned it to him.

"Looking at it when it is not upside down might help, my friend."

Bridget tried not to smile as Oghren mumbled something under his breath. A few moments later he sighed in exasperation and shoved the map towards Zevran.

"I still can't read the sodding thing!"

Zevran blinked some snow out of his eyes and scanned over the document quickly.

"If we go straight through like we were planning, we just make a left to get back on the correct course to this Arl's mansion." He said as he led them forward.

As soon as they entered the rather large clearing, an iron gate fell behind them, sealing them off from the rest of the alley. Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"And now the _rogue_ in the party, the one who is supposed to _look out_ for this sort of stuff has landed us in a trap! Bridget can't lead and the rogue triggers a trap. Is today 'let's be complete opposite of what we normally do well just to annoy Morrigan day'? Because it certainly feels like it is." The mage raged.

Bridget sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Why would there be traps in back alleys?" she asked slowly.

"Because there is a rogue Antivan Crow running about that needs to be dealt with." A voice replied.

Bridget and the others turned to see a man emerge out of the shadows with two long daggers strapped to his back. His skin was dark like Zevran's and his black hair gleamed in the sunlight. A few more rogues appeared as well, emerging from their hiding places, readying themselves to attack. Bridget opened her mouth to reply, but Zevran stepped in front of her.

"Taliesin? What are you doing here?"

Bridget furrowed her brow. She knew that name sounded familiar…oh yes, Taliesin was another Antivan Crow.

Perfect.

Taliesin raised his eyebrows.

"Why do you think I'm here, Zevran? You leave a very easy trail. We taught you better than that."

Zevran narrowed his eyes.

"So…you have come to kill me then?"

Taliesin began to slowly descend the steps that were in front of him.

"That is our policy isn't it? However, you and I were pretty close and you are such a skilled fighter…"

Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"So?"

Taliesin crossed his arms.

"I'm willing to overlook your failure to kill your target and offer you a position back with the Crows…as long as you kill her now."

Bridget looked over at Zevran but before she could say anything, Morrigan hissed,

"If you so much as think of betraying us I will freeze off your dangly bits and step on them, elf."

Zevran blanched a bit and turned back to Taliesin. His answer was already quite simple before, but now after Morrigan's threat it was doubly simple.

"Let's see…join back with a group of rogues that made me who I am or risk losing my dangly bits. I happen to like my dangly bits, so I am sorry to say that we have no deal, Taliesin."

Bridget noticed the immediate flicker of anger to cross Taliesin's face. He quickly withdrew his daggers from behind his back. Zevran did the same, twirling them and raising an eyebrow.

"Come and get me." He shouted.

Bridget withdrew her blade and shield and jumped into action, taking on one of the other rogues. She decided to let Zevran deal with Taliesin himself, knowing that he would want to. Morrigan kept her distance and conjured a few fire balls to toss at some of the rogues that were on the rooftops, aiming their arrows at the rest of the party. Oghren went into a full rage and took on two at a time, swinging his axe this way and that. Bridget ducked as a dagger flew past her, lightly grazing the armor of her shoulder. It was ineffective, however and fell to the ground at her feet.

Morrigan signaled to her friends a moment later to move out of the way as she summoned a blizzard, freezing the remaining opponents in range. She then took to shattering each frozen rogue with a wave of her staff. When she reached Taliesin, however, Zevran held up his hand. He looked over his shoulder at her and Bridget and asked,

"Leave this one for me?"

Morrigan shrugged as Oghren came back into view. As soon as he saw Taliesin's frozen form, he rushed forward, brandishing his axe. Before anyone could stop him he slammed into Taliesin, knocking him to the snow and gutting him on the spot. Zevran, (who had jumped out of the way to avoid Oghren's axe), jaw dropped.

"Ah! Oghren, he was mine!" he exclaimed.

Oghren pulled his axe out of Taliesin's body and turned to look up at him. He shrugged.

"You were taking too long." He then trudged off to the side.

Bridget and Morrigan looked at each other before walking towards Oghren and Zevran.

"Well…that's it then. The Crows won't come after you anymore, right?" Bridget asked.

Zevran shook his head and grinned.

"No, they will still hunt me, but it may take them a while to find me again! Come now; let's get about to saving the queen!"

Now that they were back on the correct course, Bridget led the others to Howe's estate in no time at all, only to find an angry mob awaiting outside, shouting up at the guards who were keeping an eye on the draw bridge. Bridget spotted Erlina signaling to them from her hiding spot in the nearby shrubbery and quietly led her friends over to her.

"I did not think you were coming, what took you so long?" the elf asked frantically.

Zevran cleared his throat.

"That was my fault, but we are here now no less." He replied.

Erlina looked up at Bridget, fear swimming in her eyes.

"We do not have much time. I will lead you to the kitchen entrance down this path here. Outside the door you will see a cart. I have placed some armor for each of you within the cart so that you may blend in with the other guards…though your friend here may be a bit out of sorts…" she noted as her eyes shifted to Morrigan.

Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"I will endure wearing the plate mail for Bridget's sake, I suppose." She stated.

Erlina cleared her throat.

"Alright, follow me. We must be quick…and keep an eye out for patrolmen at the top of the walls. The Arl is very tight on his security."

Bridget snorted.

"I'll bet he is." She replied.

Bridget followed Erlina through the side path, moving branches out of her way when needed. After a few minutes of progressing through the thick bramble, they arrived at a clearing. Erlina was about to walk out in the open before Bridget pulled her back down.

The elf looked startled.

"What are you doing?"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"You can't just walk out without looking around first, you could walk straight into a guard!" she whispered.

Erlina nodded.

"Yes, yes of course."

She then peeked around the corner of the wall and sighed.

"There are two guards posted at the entrance to the kitchens…I will distract them. Make your way over to the door, there is a cart on the other side of the wall there so you may change. Milady is not far from the Arl's personal quarters. They are on the ground floor. I will try to meet you at Milady's door."

"Wait, wait what about our armor that we are currently wearing? What will happen to it?" Zevran asked.

"Place it within the cart, I have another friend on the inside that will take it to Arl Eamon's estate."

With that, Erlina ran out from behind the half wall. Bridget heard her explain to the guards that she thought she saw a Darkspawn. They reluctantly hurried towards the gardens where she pointed. Bridget peeked over the wall. She motioned for the others to follow her as they quickly made their way to the cart. Bridget removed the tarp that was covering the cart and began to remove her armor and place it in the cart. Oghren picked up Bridget's shield and rubbed some dirt on it before handing it back to her. She looked at him curiously.

"You don't want your family crest showing off in there, at least not until we run into the nug humper that killed all your family." He stated.

Bridget nodded.

"You're right, I hadn't thought of that. Thank you, Oghren."

He slapped her on the back of the leg.

"Don't go gettin' soft on me now, we got a queen to save and some people to kill!"

Bridget chuckled and placed the helmet on her head. Once they were all dressed, they entered the kitchen. Cooks and helpers were bustling about, trying to get supper ready for all of the guards. Bridget and the others casually walked through. Luckily, none of the cooks seemed to even notice them. Bridget sighed as they stepped into the dining hall that was filled with guards. Her stomach had twisted itself into a knot. She took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing that she had to be completely intact once she met Howe again. The group kept their heads low and didn't talk to anyone as they progressed through the halls of the Arl's estate. Bridget raised her eyebrows at some of the décor that was hung on the walls. Howe wasted no time at all in having fancy portraits of himself and his family hung throughout the castle. Seeing his face every time Bridget rounded the corner made her want to find Anora that much faster.

Thankfully Bridget was at an advantage. As a child, she and her family frequented the Arl of Denerim's estate all the time, and she would always run off and play with the Arl's children. One of their favorite games was hide-and-seek, so she knew the layout of the mansion quite well. Upon turning the corner, Morrigan lifted her head and whispered,

"I sense containment spell somewhere near here."

Bridget nodded and continued down the hallway. Morrigan discreetly ran her hand against the stone.

"Yes, we are getting close…this door up here, I believe."

Bridget nodded and looked around before slipping into the nearby passage, her friends followed her. At the end of the hall, Erlina stood nearby a door that was clearly enchanted. It gave off a silvery glow.

As Bridget came closer, Erlina turned and hurried towards them.

"Thank the Maker you are safe, Milady is behind this door here."

Bridget hurried towards the door. Erlina advised her not to touch it before calling out to Anora.

"Milady, the Grey Warden is here, she will help you."

Bridget saw Anora's shadow beneath the door.

"Thank you, Grey Warden…but as you can see I am confined by magic now, as well as with a key."

Morrigan stepped forward to examine the wall more closely. After a moment, she shook her head.

"I cannot do anything about this…we will have to kill the mage that cast this spell for they used blood magic to make it happen."

Bridget sighed. She was going to reply before Anora said,

"The mage…he left with Howe, they are in the dungeons where the _true_ Arl of Denerim is being held captive, or I should say his son. If you can kill the mage and free me, I will be forever in your debt, Grey Warden."

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"The mage won't be the only one we're going to kill…" she said under her breath.

Erlina directed them to the left where Howe's room was located. From there, a staircase led them to the entrance to the dungeons. Upon entering the room, Morrigan stated she had to get out of the bulky armor if she were to fight, as she had left her robes on beneath it. As she was doing that, Zevran picked a nearby chest and was rummaging through it's contents. Bridget stood off in the corner staring out the window and chewing on her bottom lip. She was actually afraid…afraid of what would happen when she faced Howe. She wished with all her might that Alistair was here. She let her thoughts consume her for a minute before she turned around to face Zevran who had been tapping on her shoulder.

"I found these papers in that chest over there, they look rather official." He stated.

Bridget furrowed her brow as she took the documents from Zevran. She scanned over them quickly before raising her eyebrows.

"These are Grey Warden documents…how on earth did Howe manage to get a hold of these?"

Zevran shrugged. Bridget quickly placed them in her pack and looked over her shoulder. Morrigan was now ready to go so they opened the nearby door and descended the stairs that led into the dungeons. Upon entering, Bridget held out her arm to stop the others as she saw a guard patrolling the short hall. She jumped suddenly when she saw an arm reach out of nowhere and pull the guard out of sight. Bridget heard the distinctive sound of bone breaking, before seeing the guard fall to the ground. He was then dragged off out of sight. Bridget swallowed and looked at the others nervously. She slowly descended the rest of the steps and rounded the corner, only to be face to face with a man who looked as if he hadn't had a decent meal in quite some time. Dark hair covered his head. He sported quite a bit of scruffle, and his eyes were tired and worn. One even looked as if it were healing from being swelled not long ago.

"I can tell you're not one of these buffoons by the presence of that mage…who are you?" the man asked.

Bridget looked at the man and replied,

"My name is Bridget Cousland, I'm a Grey Warden."

The man's eyes lit up.

"You, I remember Duncan mentioning you…I am sorry about your family. My name is Riordan…Senior Grey Warden."

Bridget nodded before remembering the documents. She pulled them out of her pack quickly.

"Are these yours? We found them in a chest upstairs."

Riordan nodded and took them from her.

"Yes…I thank you for retrieving them. Most of them are just filled with names of the dead, those that we recognized at Ostagar…but some of these also contain secret Grey Warden rituals, such as the Joining. Thank you for returning them."

Bridget nodded again.

"No need. My fellow Grey Warden Alistair and I are staying at Arl Eamon's estate here in Denerim. If you would like to go there, I am sure he will let you stay."

Riordan smiled.

"I shall, thank you. Now I will find a way to get out of here. I hope we cross paths again."

With that, Riordan hurried away. Bridget looked at the others before descending the nearby staircase towards the deeper part of the dungeons. They were immediately ambushed by several of Howe's guards, their cover being blown now by Morrigan in her mage robes…also by hearing all the commotion that occurred when Riordan dispatched that other guard back upstairs. They were dealt with quickly, adrenaline filling Bridget's body as she led the rest of her party down the twisting hallways, Zevran disarming traps along the way. At long last they stood outside a door. After Morrigan stated she sensed the mage within, Bridget took a deep breath and placed her hand on the knob. She turned it and barged in.

There he was, sitting at a table with his back towards the door and playing cards of all things. Some of the other men in the room had stood quickly, already drawing their swords, but Howe waved them down.

"Don't bother…I have been waiting for this one." He stated.

Bridget clenched her fists and tore off her helmet. She threw it to the ground. It crashed against the stone floor and rolled to the side.

"Face me, you coward." She spat.

She watched as Howe slowly placed his cards on the wooden table and stood. He turned and raised an eye brow, but remained near the table.

"Well, well, if it isn't Bryce's youngest. And here I thought you too had perished along with your family…ah but I should have known _you_ would have survived…after all, Bryce did train you himself. He trained the bitch well, didn't he men?"

Bridget clenched her jaw, but remained quiet. Howe stepped a bit closer, towards the middle of the room. The torchers that hung on the four pillars around the room illuminated his face in an eerie glow.

"I am surprised it has taken you _this_ long to seek me out. I thought for sure the moment you came to you would set out after me."

Bridget withdrew her sword and shield and stood at the ready.

"Enough talk. Fight me."

Howe crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Dear child, is this really the way you want to exact your revenge, by killing _me_?"

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"You have taken everything from me, my family, my _life_ essentially. It is now time that I took something from you."

Howe chuckled.

"Bridget dear, if you want to take something from me, why not do as I did and kill _my_ family? That will cause me more pain than anything you do here will."

Bridget shook her head.

"No. I will not kill innocent people just to cause you pain. I will not become you. I know that you value your own life above anything else, so if I take that away, you will have _nothing_. You can go to hell and rot in your sins."

Howe narrowed his eyes and withdrew his daggers. He began to slowly move towards the left, as Bridget moved towards the right. They began to walk in a circle, their eyes never leaving the other's.

"Do you know what I did when I found your parents in that lowly larder? Do you know how they suffered in their final moments? I raped your mother in front of your father. In his weakened state, he could do nothing…and I had already knocked your mother around a bit, so she was in no fit state to defend herself."

Bridget gripped the handle of her family's sword tighter, so much so, her knuckles were turning white beneath her gloves.

Again one of Howe's men moved, but he shook his head.

"No, none of you are to enter this fight. This is between me and the one little Cousland who just wouldn't give up."

He then charged for her, swinging both daggers in opposite directions. Bridget raised her shield to deflect his attack, and also jumped back to avoid it.

"I also spit on your father as he died, after pissing on him of course."

Bridget slit her eyes and rammed her shield forward, knocking Howe back. He quickly regained his footing before Charging at her again, swinging his daggers so fast, they made a _swoosh_ noise in the air. Bridget deflected and dodged, at the same time, searching for any openings so she could land a hit. She looked for too long though because Howe had pulled a smaller dagger from his side. Before Zevran could alert her, he had already slammed it into her shoulder, causing Bridget to cry out in pain and drop her sword.

"Yes, scream; scream like your mother did." Howe hissed.

Bridget was now pushed up against one of the pillars. Howe had moved to grab another dagger before Bridget punched him, hard in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. She winced as she pulled the short dagger from her shoulder. Her armor had deflected most of it, but half of the small blade had buried itself into her flesh. Her blood coated the wound as she felt the warm liquid run down her arm. Taking Howe's dagger in her hand, she flung herself onto the ground with him, thrusting it into his stomach as she did so. Howe shouted out in pain and signaled his men to join the skirmish, forgetting that Bridget was not here alone. Her friends jumped into action, keeping all of the other guards away from them both. Bridget threw Howe's daggers to the side and reached for her sword. The wound to his stomach did not harm him enough to where he could not move, however, so he pulled Bridget back towards him a moment later, punching her hard across her face. Bridget winced as she tasted blood in her mouth. Her lip was completely busted now, and she already felt a bruise forming on the side of her face. She kicked Howe off of her and grasped the hilt of her blade, when she turned back; Howe was trying to make his way towards his daggers. She ran towards him and slammed him into the nearby pillar. Howe coughed up blood as she did so. Bridget took her blade and aimed it at his chest.

"This is for my family, may the Maker cast you to hell to eternal damnation you piece of shit."

Bridget thrust her blade into Howe's chest. The wicked man gave out an earsplitting scream as the metal punctured his skin, tore through the bone, and final, skewered his heart.

"I…deserved better than this…I deserved…more…."

Bridget pulled her blade out of Howe's body and watched as he slumped to the floor. Tears brimmed her eyes, but they were not because of pain, and certainly not tears of regret. They were tears of happiness, for now that Howe was gone…Bridget knew that she, and the memory of her family could finally be at peace."

Bridget winced as she held her side. Apparently, Howe had managed to cut her there as well. She turned to the others to see that the rest of the men in the room were dead, including the mage. Morrigan was no healer, but she did know a bit of the magic and was able to heal Bridget's wounds to an extent. They would definitely not hold up for long though and required Wynne's attention immediately. Bridget led the others to the back holding cells where true enough, the heir to the Arldom of Denerim was being held. He promised his voice in the Landsmeet in exchange for his freedom, so Bridget released him (though she would have, voice or no).

Another man was also in the holding cells here, though delirium was beginning to take over him. Morrigan recognized it as Lyrium withdrawal. The man was a Templar who had been sent to capture Jowan before he poisoned the Arl. He gave an intricate ring to Bridget, asking her to find his sister and give it to her…but to keep his place a secret because he did not want her to see him on the verge of insanity. Bridget nodded and led the others back upstairs.

"Let's go get Anora and get out of here. I want to spend no more time in this place."

They quickly made their way to Anora's room, now imprisoning spell free. The Queen of Fereldan exited the room quickly, clad in armor like the guards to not draw attention. Morrigan transformed into a small animal so she would not give away their disguise. Zevran slipped her into his pack. Bridget led her friends through the twisting halls once more. She stepped into the room with the exit in clear view before a dozen or so men ran to block it. A woman with dark hair stepped forward. Bridget recognized her as Loghain's army leader, Ser Cauthrien."

"Stop, you will go no further, Warden. I charge you with the murder of Arl Rendon Howe and his men at arms."

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"He was holding _your queen_ as a hostage! He also killed my entire family as well as the previous Arl of Denerim!"

Cauthrien's eyes widened.

"He has the queen?"

Anora threw her helmet off.

"Cauthrien, believe nothing that she says! She and her friends were trying to take me hostage!"

Bridget and her friends slowly turned towards Anora. Morrigan hopped out of Zevran's pack and transformed back into a human. Bridget gaped at Anora.

"Oh _hell_ no, I did not just risk my entire life, as well as the lives of _my_ friends to kill the man responsible for the death of _my_ family to have you say I intend to 'kidnap' you. Bitch, you got another thing coming if you think to double cross me now!"

Cauthrien drew her blade, as did all the other guards in the room. With Bridget's injuries, she was no match for all of these men, but she wasn't going down without a fight. She did as best as she could, her friends did as well but they stood no chance. Cauthrien had Bridget knocked out before long. The other men carried her away at Cauthrien's orders to place her in Fort Drakon. They didn't even glance at the others that remained in the room, Anora being one of them and soon she and the rest of the party stood alone. Anora slowly turned around to find Morrigan, Zevran, and Oghren all giving her malicious glares.

"You've got some explaining to do, _queen_ Anora. And you can do that all the way back to Arl Eamon's estate." Morrigan spat.

_xXx_

Alistair swallowed as he pondered Eamon's question. He was about to open his mouth to reply, before the door to the room flew open and Zevran and the others piled in, along with Anora. Alistair immediately stood and grinned, but that grin completely vanished within a second.

"Where's Bridget, where is she? Why isn't she with you?" he asked slowly.

Morrigan narrowed her eyes as she looked to Anora.

"Allow this pathetic coward to explain."

Eamon stood by Alistair's side, all of their argument from before vanished.

"What has happened, Anora?" he asked.

She wrung her hands together nervously under the scrutiny of all of the pairs of eyes that were boring into her in the room.

"The Warden has been captured and taken to Fort Drakon." She stated.

Alistair stepped back a bit and grabbed onto the back of the chair he had occupied before for support. Fort Drakon had a reputation…a _very bad_ reputation. Zevran crossed his arms.

"I see you leave out the part where you betray us. It is of course, your fault that she is in there."

Anora hung her head. Alistair flared his nostrils and stood straight. He clenched his fists. All worry that had occupied his thoughts a moment ago had vanished. It was replaced with complete _anger_.

"We must go at once, Zevran will you,"

Zevran nodded.

"Of course I will accompany you, my friend."

He turned and walked out of the room. Alistair strapped his sword and shield onto his back and turned, his eyes falling on Anora.

"You make me _sick_. To betray Bridget, after everything that she has done for you…"

He let his sentence trail off as he hurried out after Zevran. He met up with his elven friend outside of Eamon's estate. Zevran was sharpening his daggers.

"Are you ready?" he asked as Alistair approached him.

Alistair nodded, too upset with the situation to respond.

"Let's go rescue our fair Warden, then." Zevran stated.

Alistair swallowed and said a silent prayer to the Maker to watch over Bridget. He just prayed that he and Zevran could get their quickly and find her…

Before it was too late.

A/N: _Whew, sorry for the long chapter guys, I wanted to get all of this in one though since the next chapter is…well I can't say for spoilers. I hope you all enjoyed this one though, I worked really hard on it! Thanks again for reading! :)_

_P.S. If you get an email that this was uploaded twice, I had to fix a major grammar error that I spotted after I uploaded it of course. I apologize for the double notification. It's hard to catch all of these mistakes sometimes with my tired eyes! _


	50. Chapter 49: The Rescue

Chapter 49

The Rescue

The first thing Bridget felt was something hard and cold against her cheek. She drew her brows together and slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, and her body ached all over, specifically in her right shoulder and left side. Bridget blinked a few times to get her vision to focus. After a minute or so, she was able to take in her surroundings. Not moving, she rolled her eyes over the room she was in, or cell for that matter. Stone lined the floors, walls, ceilings, pretty much everywhere. Torches were placed here and there to allow light, and the echoes of screams could be heard throughout the halls. Bridget closed her eyes and shivered at the sounds of them. She couldn't even imagine what those poor souls were being put through. Bridget lifted her head and slowly sat up, wincing in pain. She held her head in her hands as it ached terribly. She had been reduced to nothing but her small clothes, all of her armor and gear most likely locked in a chest somewhere. With the way she felt, there was no way she could make an escape herself…she wouldn't get far at all, and didn't want to think of the consequences if she was caught. Bridget sighed and rested her back against the nearby wall. It was freezing cold and sent her skin to ripple into gooseflesh.

Alistair would come, Bridget was sure of it. He wouldn't waste a moment knowing that she was in here…she'd just have to sit and wait and hope that the guards wouldn't take her to the torture chamber. Growing up, Bridget had heard stories of Fort Drakon, listening in on the hushed conversations her father used to have about it with her mother or one of his regents. She knew exactly what the prisoners that were in here faced, and knew that the guards enjoyed delivering the punishments. Bridget drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them. She turned her head and looked towards the cell that was next to her. In it, a man sat with his back towards her, trembling slightly. His back held gaping wounds, oozing out blood and puss. They looked severely infected. Bruises blackened his body all over. Bridget trailed her eyes up to his hair and blinked. She had only seen hair of that particular shade on one person before…

Bridget crawled over closer to the bars that separated their cells.

"Ser Gilmore?" she asked softly.

The man's head slowly lifted he turned slightly to face her and when he did, Bridget gasped. The red headed man was indeed Gilmore…but he looked like a completely different person. His nose had been broken previously for it was now crooked and misshapen. Gilmore's hair was oily and looked as if it had not been washed in months…probably not since he was thrown in here. His eyes were black, his lip was busted and he looked as if he was missing a few teeth. His eyes though…they were so distant…so dark.

It was as if they had no life in them at all.

Gilmore raised his eyebrows and Bridget watched as he slowly moved across his cell so he could face her, between the bars.

"M-Milady Cousland…" he whispered softly.

Bridget looked at him.

"How on Thedas did you survive Howe's men?" she asked.

Gilmore dropped his gaze and hung his head.

"They held me prisoner…they made me watch as…as they murdered everyone else…all of my friends, your mother and father…"

Bridget swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Then they…they made me throw the torch into the gardens so that a fire would start…it swallowed up the entire castle. I tried though milady, I tried to resist I,"

Bridget shook her head.

"Shh…I have full confidence that you did try to resist."

Gilmore's lip quivered as tears fell from his eyes.

"I could save no one…I am sorry milady…I have failed you."

Bridget looked at him.

"No you didn't, Gilmore. You tried…I cannot believe they let you live though…"

Gilmore looked up at her.

"I have not lived since that day. I was thrown in this cell as soon as we entered Denerim. Every day I have been whipped, beaten, placed on the stretcher or hung by my wrists as they torture me…"

Bridget felt tears brim her eyes. Gilmore had always been strong but now…

He was utterly broken.

"How did you survive?" Gilmore asked quietly a few minutes later after he composed himself.

"The Grey Warden, Duncan helped me escape. I had fainted and when I woke up…I was in Ostagar." She replied softly.

Gilmore looked at her and placed his hand on hers that was holding onto the bar.

"I am glad that you survived, milady. Knowing that you have brings great joy to my heart." He said slowly.

Bridget looked into Gilmore's eyes and thought she saw a spark of life in them once again. She smiled and placed her other hand on top of his.

"My friends will come to rescue me, Gilmore. We'll make it out of here alive, I know we will."

Gilmore nodded.

"We will."

"What do we have here…?"

Both Gilmore and Bridget turned to see two guards stepping up towards their cells. One was tall and burly and had a full beard; the other was a bit shorter. His eyes were as black coals and narrowed into thin slits. They dropped their hands immediately and looked at each other. The guards grinned maliciously at one another.

"I'd say it looks like these two knew each other once."

The man with the beard nodded.

"I think we could use this to our advantage…"

He quickly grabbed the keys from the side of his belt and slid it into the lock to Bridget's cell. She stood and backed towards the back of the cell. She was in no condition to fight…there was no way she could try to overpower him in her condition. The guard strode in and before Bridget could do anything, he struck her to the ground. Bridget yelped as he grabbed a fistful of her hair to drag her out of the cell.

"No! Please, don't hurt her! Hurt me instead! Please I beg of you!" Gilmore shouted.

The guard that was standing by his cell narrowed his eyes at him.

"We have already heard your screams; it's time for a change of pace. Let's see just how much this mighty Grey Warden can take before she breaks like you did."

The man that was pulling Bridget away looked over his shoulder.

"Bring him too; I've got an idea…"

The guard continued to drag Bridget by her hair, despite her struggling. Before he descended the staircase leading into the torture chamber, he released her hair for a brief second, which proved to be a mistake. Bridget stood as fast as she could despite her pain and pushed him down the short staircase. The guard slammed into the door at the end of it, swearing loudly. Bridget turned back around only to face the other guard who was dragging Gilmore behind him. He shook his head at her.

"You shouldn't have done that…" he said in a low voice.

Bridget backed up slowly looking for something to grab on the walls. Normally, dungeons were decorated with weapons hanging on the walls.

This of course was not the case in Fort Drakon.

Suddenly she backed up into something…and she knew at once that it was the guard she had pushed just moments ago. He gripped her shoulders tightly and bent to her ear.

"I will make you pay for that." He whispered darkly.

He then yanked her down the staircase and threw her into the torture chamber.

"Let her dangle by her wrists for a while." He barked to a few other guards that were in the room.

Bridget could do nothing, she was surrounded by guards. In mere seconds she was dangling by her wrists, the cold metal dug into her delicate skin. They had also chained her ankles so she could not kick at anyone. Bridget looked up and through her tears she saw them chain and gag Gilmore. The bearded guard stepped out of the room for a second but returned a moment later with a large mace. Bridget swallowed. The guard raised an eyebrow at her.

"Let's see how tough you are after you've taken a few hits from this."

He began to walk towards her before Gilmore spit out the gag that was preventing him from speaking.

"No! Please, _please_, I implore you, please don't hurt her!" he shouted.

The guard stopped walking towards Bridget and looked over his shoulder at him. He was quiet for a minute before raising his eyebrows.

"You know Kenneth, I think Ginger here as a point."

Bridget looked towards the man with the cold dark eyes who she assumed was Kenneth.

"What do you mean, Brandon?"

Bridget swallowed as Brandon turned back and looked at her.

"I think we will cause her more pain if we beat Ginger here instead. After all, she can do nothing about it."

Kenneth looked at Brandon.

"She can simply close her eyes and not witness it, Brandon."

He shook his head and stared at Bridget straight in her terrified eyes.

"No she can't…because if she does, I will stick this blade through her heart so fast, she will not even have time to think of what had happened." He stated as he patted the hilt of his sword that rested at his side.

Bridget shook her head.

"Gilmore…no, I won't let you do this! You have been through too much already!"

Gilmore shook his head.

"I cannot let them harm you, Milady. I cannot go back on my promise to your father."

Bridget's lip quivered as tears fell from her eyes. Brandon brought his arm back and raised the mace high before swinging it full force and hitting Gilmore in his stomach. Bridget cried out along with Gilmore as the mace tore into his skin. The spikes tore his skin and made deep wounds into his stomach. Gilmore's blood began to seep out moments later. Bridget took a deep breath. The little bit of sun that filtered in through the small barred window at the top of the room had vanished, swallowed up by the night.

Bridget prayed to the Maker that her friends would come soon…she didn't know how long she could take watching Gilmore suffer…nor did she know when the guards would tire of him and turn to her…

_xXx_

Night soon swallowed up the sun. By the time Alistair and Zevran made it to the outskirts of Fort Drakon, it was pitch black. The only source of light came from the few torches placed along the walls of the fort. As Zevran scanned the area, Alistair stared up into the sky. Because of the clouds, only a few stars were visible. Alistair remembered a Brother in the Chantry telling him once that the stars were the Maker's windows and staring up into them was like staring into the Maker's Palace in the sky. Alistair swallowed and blinked. He hoped that Bridget was not already by the Maker's side…

"I see no openings, they have guards patrolling everywhere!" Zevran hissed.

Alistair turned and looked at him.

"What are we going to do, then?" he asked worriedly.

Zevran looked at him as he rummaged through his pack.

"We're going to have to be _very_ quiet…what we need is some of their armor. If we can disguise ourselves as the others and I did earlier, we may have a chance."

Alistair sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"How will we know what floor she's on though? We should've brought Zeus…he could've found her scent!"

Zevran stood and looked at him.

"If Fort Drakon is like any other fort, I know where they have her."

Alistair looked at Zevran worriedly.

"Where?" he asked slowly.

Zevran swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Coming from experience, for the 'crime' she committed…they probably have her in the…torture chamber." He replied sadly.

Alistair felt his stomach knot.

"We have no time to waste then."

Zevran nodded.

"Exactly. Now, I believe I saw one opening, on the south side of the Fort. We'll use this hook and rope to latch on to the spikes at the top of the wall. We'll scale the side of it and carefully move over the top of it without hitting the spikes. Do you think you can do this?" Zevran asked.

Alistair nodded.

"I'll do anything to recue Bridget." He stated firmly.

Zevran nodded.

"Let's go."

The two emerged from their hiding place within the nearby forest and slowly made their way towards the back end of the fort. Alistair didn't know how many times he had prayed for Bridget's safety, too many times to count. He hoped that the Maker heard his pleas…if they were too late and Bridget was…

No. Alistair wouldn't accept that. They _would_ find her, and she would be _alive_. He just knew it. Soon enough, the warrior and assassin made it towards the back of the fort. Zevran scanned the tops of the wall, before stopping and grinning.

"This is it." He whispered as he removed the hook from his bag.

Alistair watched as Zevran expertly tied the rope to the end of the hook. He took a few steps back to swing the rope before releasing it. The hook flew forward and latched onto one of the spikes. Zevran tugged the rope to make sure the hook was secure. He smiled.

"Alright, let's go and save our Warden, shall we?"

Alistair watched as Zevran quickly scaled the side of the wall, reaching the top and carefully moving to jump down on the other side. Alistair copied the elf's actions and climbed the rope as quietly as he could in his armor. He soon jumped down the other side (taking the hook and rope with him) to find Zevran waiting for him, concealed in the shadows.

"How are we going to get in?" Alistair asked.

Zevran looked up at him.

"We're going to have to steal someone's armor...out _here_."

Alistair's eyes widened.

"We can't kill anybody, they'll discover the body soon enough!"

Zevran shook his head.

"You are too practical, my friend. Don't worry; I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Alistair pulled out a map of the fort that one of Eamon's advisors had given him before he left and scanned over it quickly.

"We've got a lot of floors to go through before we reach the chamber." He whispered solemnly.

Zevran placed his hand on his shoulder causing Alistair to look at him.

"We'll find Bridget, Alistair. I'm sure she is fine. I have a plan, see those two guards over there?"

Alistair followed Zevran's gaze and nodded as he spotted two guards who were patrolling the nearby area.

"Watch how they both turn their backs to each other at the same time…what we need to do is get over to the bushes that are near them and once both of their backs are turn, grab them and cover their mouths and noses with this."

Zevran pulled out two cloth rags that Alistair could tell had been laced with something.

"My dear Leliana made me a wonderful concoction that will leave those two knocked out for quite some time. We will then steal their armor and hide their bodies in the shrubbery over there. To make things look more convincing, I've brought a few bottles of wine that we can pour around and on them to make it look as if they got very drunk. I also have a bottle of perfume that the ladies of The Pearl like to wear."

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"The Pearl? Isn't that the…"

Zevran nodded.

"Yes the brothel. I have…connections there."

Alistair took the rag that Zevran handed him.

"Why am I not surprised." He stated.

Zevran chuckled.

"Alright, let's try and sneak to the bushes while they aren't looking."

Alistair and Zevran quietly snuck towards the bushes and waited patiently. A few minutes later the plan went into action and soon enough, Alistair was pouring wine around the bodies of the knocked out guards while Zevran was pouring perfume. After scattering the wine bottles around, they quickly dressed into the armor that the guards were wearing and pulled their helmets on.

"That worked out quite well." Alistair noted.

Zevran chuckled.

"I am a brilliant mastermind, come now, let's see if we can get inside."

To both of their surprise, they did.

Unfortunately though, once inside, Alistair could no longer look at the map for that would give them away right then and there. They could only go by what little bits they heard from the guards as they progressed down into the fort. Zevran accidentally walked into one of the guards who was coming out of a nearby room.

"Oi, watch yourself!"

Zevran cleared his throat.

"Excuse me my good man, I did not see you there. We are trying to make our way to the torture chamber, I have with me a new recruit here and I'm giving him a tour. Problem is, I haven't been down there myself in ages and since the accident, I really can't remember where certain things are."

The other guard looked at Zevran quizzically before he snapped his fingers.

"I know you, you were that bloke that got shot in the eye while training the newbies. Blimey, the Maker was surely with you, you're right lucky you survived! Anyway, torture chamber's just a couple more staircases down, you'll pass by the cells first. There should be another new recruit guarding the entrance, course you'll have to make it through Kate, the sergeant. Jus' tell her that you're showing the newbie around and she'll let you pass."

Zevran thanked the guard and he and Alistair hurried down the stair cases. They entered the next room to find it filled with off duty guards and large ballistae on raised platforms lining the walls.

Alistair and Zevran looked towards the other end to see the sergeant the other guard had mentioned.

"I don't think we'll be able to fool two guards twice." Alistair whispered.

Zevran nodded.

"I agree."

Alistair looked towards one of the ballista and then across the room to a random statue.

"Cover me, I've got an idea."

Zevran nodded and stood around, keeping his distance from some of the other guards while watching them. Alistair quickly hurried towards one of the ballista. It was already turned to face the statue. He pulled back on the lever and released it. A large boulder flew out of it and crashed into the statue on the other side of the room, shattering it into pieces and gaining the attention of all the guards in the room, including the sergeant. While they were preoccupied with that, Alistair and Zevran hurried towards the previously guarded door and slipped through to find themselves in the dungeons. Cells lined the walls and all carried emaciated and dirty occupants. All of the prisoners carried scars and wounds from their time spent within the fort. Alistair swallowed, he didn't see Bridget in any of the cells.

"You up there, what are you doing here?"

Zevran and Alistair turned to the soft spoken voice that had called to them. A young lad, probably not older than seventeen was stationed at the bottom of a short stair case. Zevran and Alistair descended the steps.

"Is the Warden in there? We've come to…speak with her." Alistair stated.

The boy looked at him, his green eyes narrowed.

"You say 'talk' but I know what you're really going to do."

Zevran and Alistair looked at each other. Before they could say anything, the boy said,

"You're going to torture her, just like all the others have!"

Alistair swallowed the bile that came up in the back of his throat. The boy slumped against the door and buried his face in his hands.

"All day I have heard nothing but her screams, her pleas, her cries…I _fear_ what the others have done to her…her screams…they will certainly haunt me. Please just leave her alone, she has been through too much already!"

Zevran placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"We will not harm her." He whispered softly.

The boy looked up at him. His eyes widened as realization struck him.

"I see…if you need…_help_, just let me know. I'll make sure no one else comes by. You need to hurry though, my shift will end soon."

He gave them the keys to the door and hurried up the short staircase to keep an eye. Zevran quickly unlocked the door and Alistair ran in, his air knocking out of him as he did so.

Bridget hung from her wrists from the ceiling, her body carried many dark bruises and cuts. Alistair noted her shoulder looked particularly bad. He turned his head to see another man on the floor across from her, blood surrounding him. Alistair hurried towards Bridget.

"Bridget, Bridget love it's me, I'm here, I'm here." He whispered as Zevran worked frantically to unlock her wrists. Bridget fell once she was released and Alistair caught her in his arms. She whimpered as he held her. Alistair's lip quivered as he stared into her face. Both of her eyes were black and swollen, her face was bruised and her lip was busted. What little he could see of her eyes were bloodshot and red as if she had been crying for quite some time. She buried her face into his neck and sobbed as she held onto him tightly. Alistair rocked her back and forth, trying to soothe her but…for some reason Bridget was inconsolable. He looked at her and saw her staring at the dead body a few feet away from them.

"Did you know him from before?" Alistair asked as realization hit him.

Bridget nodded.

"He…he was one of my fathers…guards…" she replied in a hoarse voice.

Alistair helped her stand so she could walk over towards the man that lay in a pool of his own blood. Bridget drew her brows together as she closed his eyes and whispered a prayer to the Maker for him. Alistair helped her stand.

"We have to get out of here." He whispered.

Bridget slumped up against him, finally giving into the exhaustion and pain that plagued her. She was knocked out cold. Alistair lifted her into his arms and looked at Zevran.

"We've _got_ to get her back to Eamon's. Wynne _has_ to treat these wounds."

They both exited the room and climbed the stairs to find the helpful boy from before.

"My shift's almost over, I'm supposed to take that cart over there outside. You two can pass for guards, so lay her in the cart and I'll throw this tarp over it. The guards won't check it since it's supposed to be scraps from the meals today anyhow. I gave them to the prisoners earlier so she can lay in there just fine."

Alistair nodded.

"You're a good man, for helping us." He stated.

The boy nodded.

"Thank you. I try to help whenever I can, I don't even want this job. Hurry now place her in the cart, the others are coming soon."

Alistair carefully laid Bridget in the wooden cart before placing the tarp over it. He looked at Zevran and nodded. The boy picked up the handles of the cart and began wheeling it out just as one of the other guards was coming through.

"See you next shift, Thomas." The new guard said.

The boy who everyone now assumed was Thomas nodded.

"Yeah, see you then."

He exited the dungeon and then went through another way to get out towards the back. Soon enough, they stood out in the pale moonlight seeping in through the clouds.

"Thank you for all of your help…we wouldn't have been able to save her if we didn't have your help." Alistair said as he removed a cloak from his pack and wrapped it around Bridget's body.

Thomas shook his head.

"Please don't thank me, I'm just glad someone did come and save her…before it was too late. Kenneth and Brandon said that they were going to kill her in the morning."

Alistair swallowed as he lifted Bridget in his arms. Zevran nodded towards Thomas.

"I hope that we meet again, my young friend. Come Alistair, let's go."

Alistair nodded as they hurried away from Thomas and Fort Drakon, making their way as quickly as possible back to Eamon's estate.

_A/N: Whew, another long chapter! They'll probably all be this way from now on. Real life has been uber busy, and I haven't felt well lately so I apologize for the late update. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! :) as always thank you for reading and reviewing! Next chapter is coming soon!_


	51. Chapter 50: Puddles of Memories

Chapter 50

Puddles of Memories

Alistair did not know what time it was, but knew that it must've been very early in the morning by the time he and Zevran made it back to Eamon's estate. Bridget was holding onto Alistair with what little strength she had, slipping in and out of consciousness along the way back. They soon stood in front of Eamon's estate and walked through the double doors quickly. As soon as they entered, all of their friends rushed forward, including Eamon and Anora. Alistair looked into Bridget's face to see her eyes flutter open. He could tell by looking at them that they were unfocused. She turned her head and looked at her friends.

And then her eyes landed on _her_.

"You bitch!"

Alistair was nearly thrown to the floor as Bridget somehow acquired strength from Maker knows where and slid out of his arms. He quickly grabbed her before she could attack Anora, which he believed were her intentions. He looked at Zevran with wide eyes as many swears flew out of her mouth. If the circumstances were different and Bridget wasn't so hurt, Alistair would find this scenario rather comical, but knew he had to calm her down.

"They killed him! I watched as they brutally _murdered_ my best friend! The only other survivor from my castle! If you had been grateful and not betrayed me, I would've been spared to witness those guards tearing into Gilmore's flesh! Witnessing Gilmore's death delivered far more injury to me than any of these!" Bridget shouted as she tore the cloak away from herself.

Wynne and Leliana both gasped and covered their mouths. Anora looked completely petrified as she stared at all of the deep cuts and gashes that embellished Bridget's body.

"I hope the Maker sends you to…to…"

Alistair quickly caught Bridget in his arms as she lost consciousness again. He lifted her as Wynne and Leliana hurried up to Bridget's room. Alistair followed them up the staircases, with Zeus at his heels. The poor dog was whining loudly, knowing that something was wrong with his owner. The small group soon entered Bridget's room where Alistair laid her gently on the towels that Leliana had placed on her bed. Morrigan entered the room as well.

"I may not know a lot of healing magic, but what I do know may be of some use."

Wynne smiled.

"Thank you, Morrigan. We are certainly going to need all the help we can get. Alistair, please take Zeus and wait downstairs with the others. We're going to be here for a while." The elder mage stated.

Alistair drew his brows together and glanced once more at Bridget's beaten body before nodding and walking out of the room. He closed the door behind him and turned towards the staircase. Alistair looked over his shoulder to see Zeus lay down outside of Bridget's door. There was no way he was leaving his master. Alistair walked back down the staircase and entered the sitting room that was nearby, where Zevran and Oghren sat talking quietly. The only light in the room was that of the flickering flames in the fireplace. Outside, the winds howled as snow fell once again. Alistair sighed as he slumped into a nearby chair.

"What those guards did to Bridget's friend…it's unspeakable. Even the Crows aren't that bad and they have quite a reputation." Zevran stated quietly.

Oghren looked into his mug of ale and shook his head.

"It's a good thing you two got there when you did or else it could've been,"

Alistair lifted his head and looked at the dwarf across from him.

"Please don't say it." He whispered softly.

Oghren looked at him and nodded slowly.

"Aye, what matters is that she's here now an' safe." He stated before downing the rest of his ale in one gulp.

Alistair stood and exited the room. He needed to get out of his armor and wash up before he could get comfortable. He did just that, removing his armor and dropping it to the floor with a loud clanging noise. Alistair walked over to the wash bowl and splashed some water on his face. He wet his hand and rubbed it down his face and over the back of his neck before sighing tiredly. Alistair turned at the sound of his door opening to find Eamon standing in the doorway.

"I am sorry for what has happened to Bridget, Alistair. Perhaps now you see why we simply cannot leave Anora the throne. Look at how quick she was to betray Bridget and your friends. Would you feel comfortable leaving her on the throne knowing that she can change her tune without a moment's thought?"

Alistair narrowed his eyes at Eamon.

"I do not want to discuss this now, not until I know that Bridget is safe." He stated.

Eamon frowned.

"Alistair, I've already told you the circumstances of you becoming king. You may as well begin to distance yourself from her now so that it will not hurt as much later on,"

"Who said I had even decided that I _wanted_ to be king? Perhaps Anora had a reason for betraying Bridget at the last moment. As much as I hate her for it, it's a possibility that she did this for a reason."

Eamon gaped at Alistair before shaking his head and turning around.

"Alistair…don't be a fool. Anora hurt the woman that you love. For that sake alone, isn't that enough to make you want to take your responsibility seriously and lock her in a tower somewhere?"

Alistair looked back at Eamon as the older man exited the room, shaking his head disapprovingly. Alistair took a deep breath before walking out of his room and back towards the sitting room. He slumped down in the chair he previously occupied and stared at the flames in the fireplace. He was tired of Eamon badgering him…how could he possibly think that Alistair could choose between being king and losing Bridget? Alistair buried his face in his hands. He was torn; he didn't know _what_ to do. Zevran and Oghren looked over at Alistair, then at each other. Oghren nodded and grabbed another mug and filled it up with ale. He then offered it to Alistair.

"Here, drink this; it'll help you keep your mind off of things." He stated.

Alistair shook his head.

"I'm not much of a drinker." He replied softly.

Oghren shrugged and decided to take the ale for himself. Every minute that passed by felt like an hour to Alistair. Why hadn't someone come down yet to tell him that Bridget was alright? Exactly how many wounds did she have…both internal and external? Soon Oghren passed out and Zevran fell asleep in his chair, but not Alistair. He wouldn't get any sleep, not a wink of it, not until he knew Bridget was alright.

_xXx_

All Bridget saw behind her eyelids was Gilmore being beat with the mace over and over again. She couldn't help him, she was helpless…and then his screams stopped in one final, horrible screech. His body slumped forward, blood spilled out of all the gaping wounds, and the guards stood over him, laughing and spitting on his body before turning to Bridget and smirking.

Bridget's eyes flew open as she sat up quickly, groaning in pain as she did so. Leliana jumped awake from her chair and rubbed her eyes.

"Oh you've finally come to, thank the Maker. I was getting worried." She said softly.

Bridget looked at her. Her entire body ached terribly, especially her face. She looked down to see her arms bandaged and her left one in a sling. Bridget lifted the blankets to find more bandages wrapped around her torso. She sighed and laid back against the pillows. Leliana stood and reached over Bridget to get a cloth. She lifted it from where it had fell from her eyes and dipped it in a nearby bowl full of warm water. Leliana squeezed out the excess water and placed the cloth back over Bridget's eyes.

"There, that should help with the rest of the swelling." She said.

Bridget licked her lips and sighed.

"Where's Alistair?" she whispered.

Leliana walked over by the door.

"He's downstairs, I'll go and get him now."

Bridget heard the door open and Leliana's footsteps as she exited the room. Next thing she knew she felt something jump up on the bed and lick her face. Bridget smiled slightly.

"Zeus, oh boy I missed you!" she exclaimed.

Zeus barked happily in delight. Bridget patted the top of his head and he curled up next to her. Bridget heard more footsteps and removed the cloth from her eyes. Despite how painful it was, she opened them again to find herself staring at Alistair's relieved face. He closed the door behind him and sighed before walking over towards the side of her bed and climbing atop it. Zeus whined as Alistair shooed him towards the end of the bed but curled up at Bridget's feet instead. Alistair caressed the side of Bridget's face. He noticed that the swelling had gone down some, but not much as both of her eyes were still black. He bent forward and gently placed a kiss to her forehead. Bridget closed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Alistair whispered.

Bridget placed her hand atop his and shook her head.

"I don't feel alright though…I shouldn't even be here."

Alistair looked at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Bridget slowly opened her eyes again and looked at him. Tears brimmed her eyes and threatened to fall down her face.

"Those guards were supposed to…to…"

Alistair took Bridget in her arms as she sobbed and explained everything that happened her. Not only did she have to witness Gilmore being beat to death by the guards, they threw her on the stretcher and laughed as her arms and legs were stretched out, the muscles and tendons begging to be snapped. Alistair cringed as Bridget went on to say how they whipped her and watched her squirm, all with smiles on their faces.

"But the worst of it all was watching them kill Gilmore…I…I don't know if I'll ever be able to get those images to leave me…"

Alistair stroked Bridget's hair as she began to calm herself down just a bit.

"I hate that you were put through such torture, you and him both…but it is admirable that even then after all he had been through he was still willing to uphold his promise to your father…that he would let nothing harm you." He stated.

Bridget swallowed and took a deep breath.

"That's not the only reason he sacrificed himself for me…" she whispered.

Alistair looked down at Bridget to find her staring up at him. She sighed.

"Gilmore and I…we have a past…" Bridget said slowly.

Alistair raised his eyebrows. He wasn't angry or surprised really, he had a feeling that Bridget wasn't a virgin when they first committed to each other…but he never asked and she never brought it up. Alistair supposed now he would get his answer. Bridget continued.

"I was fourteen when Gilmore and the rest of the men in his squad arrived at the castle for training. He was sixteen at the time. I remember how shy he was when we first met…his face was just as red as his hair." She stated with a small chuckle.

Alistair smiled down at her. It was good to hear her laugh again.

"He, as well as the other young men were surprised to learn that I would be training along with them, but unlike the others, Gilmore actually gave me a chance. The others would snicker and laugh at me because they thought it silly that a girl would want to learn the ways of a sword, and some even downright refused to spar with me. But Gilmore never did, he _always_ gave me a chance, he even taught me a few of the skills I have now. Over the course of the years, we developed a really good friendship…and soon enough I was sixteen and he was eighteen. I had had feelings for him at this point for quite some time…but I was no fool, I knew anything between us was forbidden and I didn't want to risk Gilmore losing his position…so I didn't say anything."

Alistair continued to listen as Bridget went on.

"One night though, it all changed. My father was throwing a party for some of the other Teyrns to attend, so I had to dress up for the occasion. Gilmore was on duty that night as well, I remember him standing by the door. I'll never forget the look on his face when he saw me, all prettied up for a change. Later that night, I had stepped out to get some fresh air, and Gilmore happened to be on a break at that time and when he saw me…he couldn't hold back his feelings anymore, and neither could I. That was when we had our first kiss."

Alistair drew his brows together as Bridget's expression changed. She sighed and continued.

"Skip ahead a few years and I'm eighteen. Gilmore and I had been sneaking around, stealing kisses, but nothing more than that. One day though…we were caught by my mother no less. She was furious and went straight to my father. I was so upset, not for the fact that I was in trouble, but I had probably just cost Gilmore his job. I remember pleading with my father not to do anything to Gilmore, that it was all my fault. My father thank the Maker was such a kind man and did nothing to Gilmore, only asked that we stop sneaking around and not see each other as much. It crushed the both of us…but we agreed. That night Gilmore came to my room and we…we made love. After that, we were just friends, despite how hard it was and how much we both wanted to be with one another. We knew we'd always have that night though…and we did."

Alistair looked down at her.

"That's quite a story." He stated.

Bridget looked up at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't mention anything before about it…I don't really like to talk about it."

Alistair smiled at her.

"Please don't apologize, there's no reason to."

Bridget moved slightly and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I love you, Alistair."

Alistair kissed her back.

"I love you too." He whispered.

Bridget gave him a small smile before becoming serious again.

"What did Eamon wish to discuss, if you don't mind my asking?" she asked while stifling a yawn.

Alistair's smile faded as he turned his head.

"Me becoming king…" he replied softly.

Bridget drew her brows together.

"Alistair…I know that we decided to leave Anora on the throne but…after what she's done…I'm not so sure I feel comfortable leaving her in that position. However, don't let me nor anyone else persuade you to be king, sweetheart. Ultimately, it's up to you. You have to decide, don't let anyone persuade you on what you should do. It's your life, you should live it how you want, regardless of what anyone says." She stated.

Alistair ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Eamon made a lot of valid points though, and now after what Anora's done to you…I wouldn't want her to be queen either. That's not even the worst part though…Eamon said if I become king I can't,"

Alistair turned back to Bridget to find her sound asleep. He smiled slightly and kissed her forehead once again before laying back against the pillows himself. Alistair decided to not worry over the politics of everything now…not yet. For now, he would allow himself to sleep and relax next to his love because something told him that soon enough…he wouldn't have that privilege anymore…

_A/N: Whew sorry for the delayed update here guys, I've had a really, really bad case of writer's block. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was tricky to write. I'll see if I can get the next one up a little bit faster. Until next time, thanks for reading and reviewing as always! :)_


	52. Chapter 51: Trouble in the Alienage

Chapter 51

Trouble in the Alienage

A few days later after receiving careful attention from Wynne, Bridget was, for the most part, back to normal. She still had some bruises and scratches here and there, but with time they too would disappear. With the Landsmeet dangerously close, Bridget knew she had to find some concrete evidence against Loghain's treachery. Her word alone would not prove anything; she needed some scandal he was involved in, other than betraying King Cailan anyway. Bridget walked through the halls of Eamon's estate towards his study where she had been summoned. She honestly hoped Eamon wasn't about to send her on another rescue mission, for he would find himself quite disappointed if he did. Unfortunately for Bridget though, Eamon had something much worse planned.

"Why the hell would I want to talk to her? Have you already forgotten what she put my friends and me through?" she asked, angrily.

Eamon shook his head and looked around his office before dropping his voice.

"Bridget, listen to me. We need Anora's voice for the Landsmeet. She is the beloved Queen of Fereldan…if the people witness her calling out her own father, that would be a great accomplishment in our favor. Now I wouldn't fully put your trust into her, considering that she did betray you, but I really suggest that you at least speak with her."

Bridget looked at Eamon long and hard for a moment before sighing and waving her hand in the air.

"Alright, fine. I'll go and speak with her, though it is going to be mighty difficult keeping my temper in check."

Eamon raised his eyebrows.

"Just do not cause her any physical or verbal abuse." He replied with a slight chuckle.

Bridget rolled her eyes and exited the room, turned down the hall, and made her way toward Anora's quarters. She knocked lightly against the wooden door before it opened to reveal Erlina.

"Ah! My lady, the Grey Warden is here." She stated as she stepped to the side to let Bridget enter.

Bridget walked in to see Anora turn from the nearby window. She didn't look quite as cheeky as she did when Bridget and the others rescued her, in fact she looked downright terrible. Her hair looked as if it had not been tended to properly, and dark circles were present under her eyes.

_Perhaps her conscious has kept her awake at night_. Bridget thought.

Anora walked over to Bridget and sat in the nearby chair. She ushered for Bridget to take the seat opposite her, but Bridget shook her head and remained standing instead. After a moment, Anora decided to break the silence.

"I was hoping that you would come to speak with me." She said.

Bridget crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"I suggest that you make this quick, I'm not exactly in the best mood to be speaking to _you_ of all people, your Majesty." She replied dryly.

Anora wrung her hands together and nodded.

"Yes, I…I do apologize for turning against you and your kind friends that day…but you have away my position! What else was I supposed to do?"

Bridget gaped at her.

"Well for one thing, you certainly didn't have to double cross us! You could've kept your mouth shut!"

Anora hung her head and sighed.

"You are right, I should not have betrayed you like that, and I am truly sorry for all the punishment you endured at your stay in the Fort."

Bridget continued to stare at Anora, her anger not thinning for a second. She wasn't buying her apology, and knew the real reason behind Anora's want to speak with her.

"Listen Anora, we're both adults here and I know the real reason why you wanted to see me, so let's just cut the crap, shall we?"

Anora looked up at Bridget and nodded.

"Very well. I know what you plan to do at the Landsmeet, to overthrow my father, that is. The people of Fereldan will not only trust your word though, Bridget. You will need a strong voice, _my_ voice against my father's. If the people see that their queen also is speaking out against him, then you should have a solid case. However, my father will most likely say that you have brainwashed me, so you will need another claim against him, something that you can provide evidence for."

Bridget nodded.

"Any idea of what else he's been doing lately?" she asked.

Anora nodded slowly.

"I do not know the entire story, nor do I even know if this is true…but I remember Arl Howe mention something about the Elven Alienage here in Denerim. Now what is occurring there I do not know, but my father may be involved so I would advise you to check it out."

Bridget nodded, but knew that this conversation was far from over.

"What do you want in return?" she asked.

Anora gave her a small smile.

"You miss nothing…do you? You, being born to a high standing family, know how _important_ it is for a monarch to know what they are doing. Obviously, Alistair knows nothing of politics and government, but I do, you see."

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"What are you proposing, then?" she asked, already knowing where Anora was going with this.

Anora stood and placed her hands behind her back.

"When the time comes, choose me to remain on the throne. I know everything I must to keep Fereldan up and running; whereas Alistair knows nothing so we will already have an advantage here. I will only provide my voice to you if you promise to leave me on the throne."

Bridget looked at Anora for a moment. There was no way she was going to entrust her homeland to a woman who was so quick to betray them. In fact, Bridget shuddered to think what would happen if she did. However, taking Eamon's suggestion into account, they did need Anora to speak up for them at the Landsmeet. Bridget's eyes widened as she formed a particularly devious thought in her mind. She smiled and looked at Anora who had gone back to the window for a moment. Perhaps she wouldn't think so high and mighty of herself if she too, was betrayed at the last minute. It's time Anora got a dose of her own medicine…

"Very well, I will support your case for you to remain on the throne."

Anora turned back to her, a surprised look on her face.

"You will? Just like that?" she asked.

Bridget nodded. Anora grinned and walked up to her.

"I thank you, truly. This is how it should be. I will lead Fereldan to great heights while I rule. I have your word, Bridget?"

Bridget nodded.

"Of course." She said while crossing her fingers behind her back.

Anora smiled.

"Thank you. Now I suggest you check out the goings on in the Alienage."

Bridget nodded and exited the room, grinning to herself as she did so. Yes it was true that Alistair did not know the first thing about running a kingdom, but when Bridget will announce that she would rule beside him as his queen, he'd be completely thrilled. Just thinking about it brought a large grin to Bridget's face and lit up her eyes. She would not tell him yet though…for she wanted Alistair to be surprised. She regained her normal composure as she returned to Eamon's study. Alistair was in there as well and the two stopped talking immediately when Bridget stood at the doorway. Bridget looked at both of the men quizzically. Neither of them looked happy, Eamon's throbbing vein in his forehead was all the indication Bridget needed that the two had probably been arguing about something. In fact, the tension in the room was so thick; she could cut it with her sword! Eamon cleared his throat and sat behind his desk.

"I didn't hear any screams, so I trust your talk with Anora went well?" he asked.

Bridget nodded.

"It did. In fact, she's given me a tip to investigate the Alienage. She mentioned Howe discussing it with Loghain not long ago so I assume they were up to something there."

Eamon looked at her and sighed.

"There's no telling what they may have been planning. Please go and investigate it as soon as you are able. Nearly all the nobles have arrived for the Landsmeet…I believe it will take place tomorrow."

Bridget looked at Alistair. His jaw was clenched and he was shooting daggers with his eyes in Eamon's direction. Bridget did not understand what could have happened between the two of them. Thinking back, Alistair always mentioned Eamon with high regard but now…it appeared as if the two of them couldn't even be in the same room without an argument breaking out. Bridget assumed that it was because Eamon was still pressuring Alistair to take the throne. She hoped that when she did choose him to be king, he wouldn't be too upset…but surely he would be overjoyed once she places herself as his queen…right? Bridget could only hope so. She nodded to Eamon and said,

"Right, let's go round up the others."

Bridget and Alistair exited the room. Alistair closed the door behind him slowly, letting out a hefty sigh. Bridget stopped and looked at him.

"Is everything alright, Alistair?" she asked softly.

Alistair looked at her and nodded.

"Yes, there's nothing to worry about." He said, a little too quickly for Bridget's taste. If they were not so pressed for time, she would question him further…but they needed to head out towards the Alienage as soon as possible, so her questions would have to wait. They entered the main hall where they found the others already waiting. Zevran opted to go, as did Morrigan while the others decided to remain at the estate. As Bridget and the others stepped outside, it was surprisingly warm or warm for winter for that matter. All the snow that had accumulated over the days was beginning to melt, though that was probably do to the fact that the sun was actually out instead of hiding behind the clouds. The group made their way towards the Alienage to find that the gate was drawn up and there was no guard standing by anymore. Bridget thought this was a little peculiar, as she entered the Alienage. Upon entering, she thought that she would be sick. The houses that occupied this small space of Denerim were nothing but shacks. Puddles of Maker knows what occupied parts of the ground. Older elves sat on the ground, begging for coin, their skin seeming to just hang off of their emaciated faces.

"This is absolutely horrid; these elves should not have to live like this!" Bridget exclaimed.

"No one takes the time to provide decent establishments for them, it is truly tragic." Zevran stated.

They continued to walk through the nearly deserted streets before coming to the center where a gigantic tree stood…but it too looked as if it was misshapen and bent over, almost like it were weeping for the elves it represented.

"I think that is the biggest tree I've ever seen…" Alistair noted.

Morrigan looked at him.

"Here we are commenting on the living status of these elves and all you can think of is a tree? Your mind is amazing Alistair, truly." She said, sarcasm riddled through her voice.

Bridget looked around and noticed a crowd of elves had accumulated outside of one of the shops in the distance. She led her friends towards them slowly, not wanting to startle anyone.

"I ask that you please form a single file line. All of you _will_ be seen!"

Bridget looked up to see a mage and a few others of his kind standing in front of the building and guessed that he was the one who was trying to control the crowd.

"But we are all sick; my child is struck with the plague! I do not know how much longer he has!"

"Don't listen to a word they say!"

Bridget turned to see a young elven woman with short, red hair run past them and towards the crowd.

"They are _lying_! What happens to our brethren that go into that shop, hmm? They don't come back! Look at how many people have already gone missing!"

"I have told you time and again that they are casualties to this sickness!" the mage shouted back.

One of the elves turned and looked at the red haired one who had spoken up.

"No, Shianni has a point! My husband has been gone for six days!"

Bridget assumed that Shianni was the redheaded elf. She continued to listen to their squabble.

"Casualties my foot! You people are mages, you just wave around that fancy staff and all's good!" she hissed.

More people seemed to be going against Shianni instead of listening to her. Bridget knew she had to do something and approached the elf cautiously, not wanting to surprise her as it appeared that she had distaste for humans.

"Can I do anything to help?" she offered kindly.

Shianni looked at her and narrowed her eyes.

"You going to try and hurt us too, shem?" she asked.

Bridget shook her head.

"No, not at all. I want to help you, if I can." She stated.

Shianni raised her eyebrows. Giving that she didn't have anyone else on her side, or willing to listen to her, she took Bridget to the side.

"A few weeks ago these mages barge into our village and start sprouting tales about a plague overcoming the city. They offered to heal us all and set up shop in that old clinic over there…only thing is though, only a few of us were sick, and it wasn't even that bad. So then they said they'd give us a tonic to prevent the illness from ever taking us, but once you go into that clinic, you don't come back out. They've been feeding us lies like 'He had an allergic reaction to the tonic' or 'She actually was sick and succumbed to the illness' all that crap. Something's up but no one will listen to me. I don't know what's going on inside that building, but it ain't good." She explained.

Bridget nodded.

"I agree, something doesn't sound right with any of this. Is there any way to get into the building besides the front?" she asked.

Shianni nodded.

"Yeah, there's an entrance in the back, but I think they have somebody guarding it. You look like you can take them, though."

Bridget nodded.

"I'll go and see if I can get in. Don't worry, Shianni, we'll get to the bottom of this."

Shianni looked at Bridget hopefully and headed back towards the crowd. Bridget nodded towards her friends and slowly made her way towards the back of the building where a lone guard stood. He stated a good case when confronted, but faltered at the sight of gold coin and allowed them to enter. Bridget unlocked the door with the key she received from the guard and opened it slowly. She slipped inside as quietly as she could muster in her armor only to be ambushed upon entering. Four mages stood within the large space brandishing their staffs. Thankfully Morrigan had decided to come along and they were made very quick work of. Bridget doubted that the mages outside heard anything do to the large crowd.

"Let's search through these chests and barrels and see if we can't find anything." Bridget whispered quietly.

Zevran set to work on picking some of the locks while Bridget took to looking through the documents on a nearby desk. She found a medium sized journal she guessed that carried pages describing different elves, 'patients' she assumed. She also found a rather large key wrapped inside an envelope. A sound alerted her and Bridget turned and noticed a door to another room. She signaled Zevran to pick the lock and he did so, after a few unsuccessful tries. Bridget led the others inside and gasped at what she saw. Five elves were in cages hanging from the ceiling, stripped to nothing but their small clothes and all were gagged and tied. Bridget quickly ungagged the male elf in the cage closest to her. He spit out the rag and shuddered.

"I thank you friend, please tell me you found the keys!"

Bridget was about to reply before Zevran said,

"I saw a pair back in the main room."

He left them but returned quickly with a large set of iron keys. Bridget tried three times before finding the right one and was able to unlock the cage. Once he was free, she freed the others as well.

"Those bastard shems, locking us in here! They've already taken about fifteen of us somewhere else, to be shipped off to Tevinter!"

Bridget's eyes widened.

"Tevinter? You mean…you were being sold as _slaves_?" she asked.

All five of the elves nodded.

"Yes, the others…I think they said they were taking them to the abandoned apartments over towards the north-west of the district. They've got Valendrian, he's our village elder. I think they've got Shianni's uncle too…"

Bridget looked at them, then at her friends.

"We have to stop this, and fast before anyone else gets hurt." She stated.

The others nodded. The elves thanked her once again before exiting through the back door. Bridget looked at the large old key in her hands.

"I guess this goes to the apartments. We better head there now."

Bridget led the others out through the front entrance and before the mages even had time to react, she and her friends took care of them.

"These men are not here to help you! They are prepared to sell you to the Tevinter Imperium!"

Nearly all the elves gasped and took steps back, some even fell to their knees.

"I intend to stop this before anyone else is hurt. I will find Valendrian and return him to you safe and sound, as well as the others that are held up with him!"

Bridget took comfort in the relieved faces she saw…but hoped with all her might that she wouldn't already be too late, and that she could return the elder elf back to his people.

A/N: _Whew! Finally able to update feels very awesome. I apologize I've kept you guys waiting for so long, but school has been incredibly busy plus I had writer's block on top of that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, more soon once I find the time to write it again! Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)_


	53. Chapter 52: The Final Night

Chapter 52

The Final Night

It turned out that rescuing the elves was a lot harder than Bridget originally thought, and she didn't take the situation lightly to begin with. She and her friends tore through the abandoned apartments looking for any clue that could lead them to the elves. Thankfully, one elf could bear Bridget's interrogation no longer and revealed the location of the other prisoners. Eventually after many battles with the slave traders, Bridget found them, only to be stopped by a Tevinter Magister. Surprisingly, Morrigan was the one who took him on. He drew ice, and she fire. Bridget, Alistair, and Zevran did what they could to the other enemies in the room without getting caught up in any of the magic. Alistair at one point suggested that he could try to use his Drain technique, but Bridget reminded him that Morrigan would be affected by it as well. Eventually the Magister lost and could go on no longer. After delivering the killing blow, Bridget searched his body and found just what she was looking for, concrete evidence that Loghain was behind all of this. What Bridget found was a set of documents carrying Loghain's signature stating that he was permitting this horrible act to be put in place. After looting some more bodies, Zevran found a set of keys and unlocked the large cage that held about fifteen or so elves. Valendrian, or so Bridget assumed, stepped forward and took her hands in his.

"Brave, brave woman…I cannot thank you enough. Without you my brethren and I would have suffered a fate much worse than hell itself. Can I offer you anything in return?"

Bridget shook her head.

"Not at all. My only wish is that you return to your people. My friends and I have taken care of the mages in the Alienage and we will soon have the man that was responsible for this punished. You have my word."

The lines in Valendrian's face deepened as he smiled warmly. Bridget escorted him and the other elves back to the center of the Alienage. She and her friends were nearly thrown down by all of the other elves who were running out to greet those they thought they had lost forever. Bridget turned to see Shianni reunite with her father. The young elf hugged him tightly and once she caught Bridget's gaze, nodded in her direction. Before exiting the Alienage, Valendrian announced that Bridget and the others would always be welcomed guests. By the time they were back in Denerim's main district, the sun had nearly set. Bridget stretched.

"That was some fine magic you used back there, Morrigan." She stated.

Morrigan smirked.

"Of course it was. _I_ performed the spell, didn't I?"

Bridget chuckled and turned to look up at Alistair. Her smile slowly faded from her face as she stared up at him. Alistair wasn't smiling…which was a sign right there that something was wrong because Alistair _always_ smiled. His eyes were out of focus…and it looked as if he were deeply concentrating on something. Bridget made it a point to talk to him later, once they were alone. She led the others back to Eamon's estate. After arriving, Zevran went off to find Leliana and Morrigan retired to her room. Bridget climbed the stairs to head for Eamon's office with Alistair trailing behind her. Upon entering she saw that Teagan was present, and his face was red. Not embarrassed red either…it appeared the two of them had been arguing. Bridget thought back to the morning when she had seen Alistair and Eamon apparently in the middle of something. Was this man purposefully trying to piss every one off? Because from the look on Teagan's face, that's what it looked like.

"Ah I see you've returned. What was going on in the Alienage?" Eamon asked.

He sat behind his desk and folded his hands in front of his face. Bridget pulled the papers out of her pack.

"Apparently, Loghain tried to sell off some elves to Tevinter Magisters." She stated.

Teagan whipped around, his face turning completely white. Eamon's own eyes looked like they would fly across the room.

"Slavery? Maker…" he whispered softly.

Bridget handed him the documents so that he could read them for himself. After a moment of scanning the papers, Eamon sat back in his chair and sighed heavily.

"I never thought he would turn to _this_. Slavery is illegal in Fereldan. With these papers clearly brandishing his signature…Loghain will not stand a chance."

Bridget nodded.

"My thoughts exactly. He can't put this on anyone else."

Eamon nodded.

"We will be sure to bring these papers with us tomorrow. Thank you, Bridget for all of your hard work."

Bridget smiled and turned on her heel.

"After all that rescuing I'm hungry."

She walked towards the door but stopped when she noticed Alistair wasn't behind her. She looked over her shoulder.

"Are you coming, Alistair?" she asked.

Alistair opened his mouth to respond but Eamon beat him to it.

"There are things we must discuss." He stated.

Bridget nodded, deciding she could just listen outside of the door but Teagan walked towards her.

"I myself am hungry as well, my lady. I'll escort you to the dining hall and see if dinner has been served."

Bridget frowned slightly, knowing that her plan was now thwarted, but smiled at Teagan and left the room with him.

Once they were gone, Alistair slowly turned to face Eamon. Eamon looked at him, and for a long moment, nothing was said. Knowing that they would get nowhere, Eamon broke the silence.

"The Landsmeet is tomorrow, Alistair. Only twelve hours away. I need to know if you have made a decision."

Alistair swallowed.

"I have not yet made one…but I am sure I will soon."

Eamon clenched his jaw, but tried to keep his temper in check.

"Alistair…we have been over this. It is either your country or your silly romance! Be the bigger man here and choose what is best for _everyone_!"

Alistair sighed and gripped the back of the chair he stood behind. Why was it so hard for Eamon to understand how difficult this was for him?

"How can you think this is an easy decision to make?" he asked quietly.

Eamon folded his hands in front of his face once again.

"Kings do not make easy decisions, Alistair. I know that this is difficult for you but there are more important things than just what you want."

Alistair looked up at him; his eyes glistened over with the ghost of tears.

"But I _love_ her…I cannot just…" he couldn't even bring himself to say it.

Meanwhile, Zevran happened to pass by the door. His ears picked up on the soft voices inside, which perked his curiosity and making him press his ear against the door.

"Alistair…you must _listen_ to me. You cannot be with Bridget. You have to end whatever it is you have with her. You call it love…but I do not think you know what love is being that you were in the Chantry for most of your life. This is just a simple fancy of your heart. Yes you will be sad, but you will heal…and when you do, you can look for a bride who can provide you with an heir."

Zevran's eyes widened. No…no…Alistair could not possibly be considering…

Hearing footsteps nearing the door, Zevran sprinted away and hid in a dark corner. Alistair opened the door and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Zevran watched as he let his hand linger on the door before bringing it to his eyes and rubbing them. He emerged from the shadows then and walked towards his friend.

"Alistair…is everything alright?" he asked slowly.

Alistair looked at him and Zevran noted that he had never seen one man look so utterly tormented in his entire life. Alistair glanced down the hall before motioning Zevran to follow him. They entered a nearby room and Alistair closed the door behind him. A comforting fireplace sat nearby with loveseats and chairs placed around the room. Alistair walked towards the fireplace and braced both of his hands against the mantle.

"I have been at war with myself ever since we got here. I will go insane if I cannot tell anyone else…but you have to promise me not to say anything to anyone, Zevran."

Zevran, already knowing a little of what this was about, swore to keep his mouth shut. Alistair sighed and spilled everything that he had kept bottled inside for so long. He explained what Eamon had said about needing an heir, making it look like the Grey Wardens were trying to control Fereldan, and how he had to make the impossible choice between his home and his love. A long, long silence fell after Alistair had finished explaining everything. Zevran, instead of feeling sorry for his friend, was absolutely furious with him. He stood and shook his head.

"Why do you not just defy what this Eamon says? Make Bridget your queen anyway! Sure there may be complications, but who gives a damn when you have a woman like her beside you! And what if Eamon is wrong? What if you two _can_ have children, it's just difficult? Alistair…are you really prepared to throw your heart away just because someone tells you to?"

Alistair looked at Zevran and buried his face in his hands.

"I don't _know_ what to do! Eamon has made valid points,"

Zevran gaped at him.

"I can't believe you are even considering _listening_ to this fool! Alistair…if you do this to Bridget…there will be no going back. You do realize that you can't fix this with an apology and a joke…right?"

When Alistair didn't reply, Zevran sighed and sat on the loveseat opposite him. Another long silence ensued before Zevran said,

"You can't do this to her…you just can't. Alistair, Bridget has lost everything, she has nothing. You are the only thing she has to live for and if you do this…I'm not sure how she would take it."

Alistair sighed.

"Bridget is strong, though."

Zevran narrowed his eyes.

"Being strong in battle is different than being strong with her heart. Alistair his will devastate her."

Alistair once again didn't reply, causing Zevran to shake his head and stand.

"I hope that you will make the _right_ choice, Alistair…the choice where everyone benefits in the end. Sure you might make a few people angry, but they'll get over it. I also hope you know when I'm referring to people; I'm not talking about Bridget."

Alistair looked up at Zevran and after a moment, nodded slowly. Zevran walked towards the door and opened it before stepping through and exiting. He shook his head and smiled. Alistair would make the right choice, he just knew he would. He'd be stupid to let Bridget go after all they had been through. Zevran's rumbling stomach quickly made his thoughts change as he headed for the kitchen.

XxX

A few hours later, Bridget sat in her room and stared at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed out her long hair. Her thoughts wandered to Alistair as she felt her insides clench with nerves. He had been so very different lately…and Bridget realized it was always after he had been speaking to Eamon. Recently however, he seemed even more uneasy to the point where it was like he was avoiding her almost. He seemed constantly distracted by something, and it was beginning to affect his fighting as well as Bridget recounted many times earlier in the day she had to shout at him to watch out or end up killing something that he was too distracted to even notice. She glanced over to her bed and noticed that Zeus was sound asleep. Bridget stood. She was determined to get to the bottom of what was going on and wasn't going to sit and wait to see what happened. She walked out of her room and gently closed the door behind her. She turned and marched straight to Alistair's room. Upon standing outside the door, she raised her hand to knock, only for the door to open. Alistair stared down at her and stepped to the side as Bridget entered his room. Alistair closed the door and sighed. Bridget furrowed her brow and crossed her arms.

"Alistair, something is wrong with you…you've been acting strangely ever since Fort Drakon. You're worrying me sick so please, tell me what's wrong. You can talk to me, Alistair." She said.

Bridget walked up to him and drew her brows together. She lifted his chin so he had to look down into her eyes.

"Alistair, I love you. You can tell me anything and I swear I will keep it between us. Please tell me what's troubling you?"

Alistair raised his hand and caressed the side of her face. He couldn't find it in himself to tell her what was wrong…what was likely to come. He smiled at her, and he knew Bridget must've seen through it because she placed her hand atop his.

"What's wrong?" she asked, almost pleading now.

Alistair licked his lips and sighed. Maybe he should tell her. After all, she did have a right to know, he assumed. He opened his mouth to respond before Bridget's eyes widened.

"Wait…I think I know what it is." She stated.

Alistair closed his mouth tightly. Bridget furrowed her brow.

"Are you upset because I told you about my past with Gilmore?" she asked softly.

Unknowingly, Bridget just provided him with a fantastic outlet. Alistair relaxed a bit and sighed.

"Will you think ill of me if I said I was upset?"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Well no but I thought it was something a _lot_ more serious than that the way you've been acting."

Alistair hated to lie to her, and promised himself that he would do something to make up for it later.

"No it wasn't anything else…just that." He stated.

Bridget looked up at him and shook her head.

"Alistair, I was very young when Gilmore and I began sneaking around. It was wrong, we were caught, and I learned my lesson from it. He was my first love, yes…both in the emotional and physical sense…but it was over long ago, and now it can never be again. For the sake of the Maker, Alistair…you can't _still_ have doubts about our relationship now!" she exclaimed.

Alistair blinked. If Bridget knew the implication of her last sentence…he was sure she wouldn't take it well. Bridget pulled him into a hug and rested her chin on his chest.

"Alistair, I love _you_. I will always love you. Once all this mess is over and done with I want to marry you and have a family with you. I mean that." She whispered.

Alistair felt his lip tremble slightly. Maker if only he had the courage to tell her…

Bridget buried her face into his chest as she felt Alistair's arms tighten around her. If only she could tell him her wonderful plan...that she would be his queen once he was king…it would certainly make things easier. Alistair pulled her away from him just enough to bend his head and kiss her deeply. Bridget returned the kiss and opened her eyes when it broke to stare into Alistair's gaze.

"Stay with me tonight." He whispered.

Bridget didn't have any intentions on returning to her room anyhow and nodded. Alistair kissed her deeply again, wrapping his arms tightly around Bridget's waist. He broke the kiss after a moment and lifted her with ease. Alistair carried her across the short distance to his bed, and gently laid her atop of the blankets. Alistair returned to her not a moment later, already working on removing her gown. Even more scars were sketched onto her skin than he remembered…as if her body was a canvas of wartime. He took his time and memorized every scar, every freckle, the softness of her skin. He looked back to her face and noted just how blue her eyes were, how her lips resembled the color of a fresh pink rose, how the firelight made her hair glow in so many different shades of gold. He relished the feel of her skin against his and hoped he could remember what it felt like in the future. Alistair wasn't going to let this moment end anytime soon. He closed his eyes at the sensation of Bridget's fingertips running down the length of his spine, how she could magically remove any tension he felt in his shoulders with just a simple touch was a mystery to him. Alistair lost count of how many times he said he loved her as his lips touched every inch of her soft skin that was exposed to him. More than once he thought his tears would escape him, but they didn't. He had to be strong and make sure she knew nothing was wrong. All that mattered in that moment was her and him. The others could fade out of existence for all Alistair cared…because it was just the two of them surrounded by nothing but their love for each other. The time came where Alistair couldn't stand it anymore though, and he buried himself within Bridget's depths. He held her close when her body trembled with release and buried his face in her neck when his own cry of pleasure came. Once they're breathing returned to normal, Alistair held Bridget to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and raised himself slightly to find that she was almost asleep. The embers in the fireplace were beginning to die out, and soon they would be encompassed by nothing but the darkness of the room. Alistair closed his eyes and kissed Bridget's shoulder.

"Bridget, I want you to know that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Throughout all of this you were the one bright light in the darkness…and no matter what happens, I will _always_ love you." He whispered, nearly choking on his tears.

Bridget, already halfway to diving into her pool of dreams mumbled,

"And I will always love you…"

She, like the nearby fire, burned out then. Alistair sighed as Bridget's breathing became deep and slow. At least she would be able to sleep…he would not be so lucky. Alistair didn't want to sleep anyway, he just wanted to watch her. Alistair repeated her last sentence over and over again…with a heavy sigh he made his decision. Now all he could do was wait…and hope that it was the right one.

A/N: Sorry this took so long guys, real life has been really busy lately. Okay next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for: The Landsmeet! I'm not sure when I'll have it posted since I've got two papers coming up for my Psychology and English class, but hopefully I'll have it up here soon. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Thanks as always for reading and reviewing! :)


	54. Chapter 53: The Landsmeet

Chapter 53

The Landsmeet

Bridget drew her brows together and opened her eyes slowly. It was very early in the morning, she guessed, for the room was still fairly dark. She rolled over and smiled, only to have it fade from her face. Alistair wasn't lying next to her. Bridget sat up. Alistair wasn't even in the room. Furrowing her brow, she pulled back the blankets she was under and grabbed her nightshift from the floor. She threw it on and noticed a piece of paper on the nightstand. Bridget picked it up and squinted in the dimly lit room to read it. It was definitely Alistair's penmanship, she could tell from the horrible scrawl. It read:

_Went to breakfast early. You should head back to your room and prepare. The Landsmeet is only a few hours from now._

Bridget frowned at the absence of any terms of endearment, but realized that Alistair was probably just nervous. She placed the paper back on the end table and exited the room, shutting the door gently behind her.

"Ah, good morning my lovely Bridget."

Bridget turned to see Zevran leaning up against the nearby wall, a large smile on his face. Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"What's got you so happy this morning?" she asked.

Zevran bowed his head.

"Oh nothing, I just have a wonderful feeling about today. I think everything will go quite well, especially after seeing you trying to sneak away back to your own room."

Bridget, not sure why her being in Alistair's room was any surprise to anyone, nodded slowly and walked down the hall and back to her own room. She washed up quickly and took the time to polish her armor and sharpen her sword. Once that was finished, Bridget slipped into her leggings and tunic before pulling her armor on. She also cleaned her father's shield…making the Cousland emblem shine. Bridget strapped her shield to her back and sheathed her sword. She took one last look at herself in the mirror. She was nervous to her core…afraid of what Loghain would do…but had confidence in her plan. Loghain would go down, probably not without a fight, but Bridget was ready for it. Zeus trotted up to her and nudged her hand with his head. She looked down at him and scratched his ears.

"I'll be back soon, boy. Then we'll play fetch!" she exclaimed.

Zeus's nub of a tail wagged back and forth and he barked in compliance. Bridget took a deep breath and exited her room, making her way down the corridor and towards the main hall. Most of everyone else was already present. Morrigan sat near the window, reading over Flemeth's grimoire and looking positively enraptured by the text. Oghren stood in front of the blazing fireplace, warning his hands. Bridget noticed he looked around for a second before pulling out his flask and taking a good swig of his "special ale". Wynne was chatting with Leliana near the entrance to the kitchen and Zevran strolled in, sinking his teeth into an apple. Bridget noted that Alistair was not present, or Eamon for that matter. It was then she heard muffled shouts from somewhere upstairs. Bridget furrowed her brow. What on earth could those two possibly be fighting about _now_? As much as she didn't want to believe that Alistair had lied to her the night before…something told Bridget that he hadn't been truthful when he said that her past relations with Gilmore was the cause of his unhappiness. Bridget felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Teagan standing behind her. He gave her a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"My lady, may I speak with you in private?"

Bridget nodded and followed Teagan into the nearby room. Once inside, Teagan shut the door behind him and turned to her.

"Is everything alright, Teagan?" Bridget asked slowly.

Teagan didn't look well at all. Not only where there the telltale bags of sleeplessness under his eyes, he looked very strained, and Bridget thought she saw a few grey hairs in the midst of his copper tresses. Teagan sighed and motioned to the nearby loveseat.

"Please, sit." He stated.

Bridget, still curious as to what could be wrong, did so and Teagan sat next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked after a brief moment of silence.

Bridget looked at him.

"Forgive me Teagan, but I think it is safe for me to say that I am in a better state than you." She replied.

Teagan chuckled a moment before becoming serious again. Bridget sighed.

"I am nervous…but I believe we have a solid argument against Loghain. If all else fails, surely the nobles will object to his involvement with the elf slave trade."

Teagan nodded.

"Yes, I believe you are right about that…but given that Loghain is a decorated war hero…my lady he will not go down without a fight." Teagan said warily.

Bridget looked at him.

"I thought the same. I am prepared to fight him, and his allies, Teagan. I will not underestimate him, but I have fought far worse things than a bloodthirsty, power hungry man."

Teagan nodded, knowing full well the troubles she had seen. He looked into her crystal blue eyes and sighed. He could keep quiet no longer, _someone_ had to tell her what was going to happen today…that way she would not be completely blindsided. Teagan was sure Eamon had persuaded Alistair to become king…and Teagan also had an inkling that Eamon had also managed to change Alistair's heart as well. Alistair was young…and because of his Chantry upbringing, he was still very naïve…and Teagan knew his conscious was most likely a weak one.

"Are you alright, Teagan? You've gone deathly pale…" Bridget said softly.

Teagan swallowed and blinked. He looked back at Bridget and sighed.

"My lady…there is something that you must know before we leave here for the Landsmeet."

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"What is it, Teagan?"

Teagan licked his lips and stood. He crossed the room and stood in front of the window, looking out at the streets of Denerim, noting that the nobles where already on their way to the Royal Palace.

"I am sure you know Eamon has been trying to convince Alistair to become king, if we are able to defeat Loghain." He stated.

Bridget nodded, an odd feeling creeping into her stomach. Teagan turned to look at her, and Bridget noted the pained expression on his face.

"There is something that you have not been told…and I cannot let you go into the Landsmeet without knowing what may happen. My conscious cannot bear it."

Teagan crossed the room again and knelt before Bridget, taking her hands into his. Bridget stared into his eyes and saw the worry and pain mixed in his hazel orbs.

"My lady…if Alistair does become king…he can-"

Before Teagan could finish his sentence, the door to the library swung open, and Eamon stood, scowling at the opening.

"Teagan…may I speak with you…_alone_?" he asked.

Teagan frowned at his brother and stood, releasing Bridget's hands. Bridget shook her head.

"Eamon, please Teagan was just about to,"

Eamon turned his cold gaze onto Bridget.

"I must speak with him _now_ and I need you to leave us." He stated coldly.

Bridget narrowed her eyes at him. Truthfully, she had lost her patience with this man a long time ago…but kept her temper in check because, after all, he was an Arl and he _was_ allowing her and her friends to stay in his estate. She sighed loudly and walked out briskly; making sure to let him know with her body language that he had just ticked her off. Bridget walked back into the main hall to see Alistair…although he too did not look like his usual self. Dark circles were present under his eyes as well, and he looked at war with himself again. Bridget approached him and reached for his hand…but Alistair pulled away before she could hold it.

"We should be heading to the Palace soon."

Bridget raised her eyebrows at the tone of his voice. Alistair didn't even _sound_ like Alistair anymore. His usual perky and cheery tone had vanished, only to be replaced with a cold and miserable drawl. Before Bridget could ask him what was wrong, Eamon and Teagan emerged from the library. Teagan looked furious, his face red with frustration, and Eamon had an icy glare for everyone.

"It's time we went to the Palace. Bridget, round up who you wish to bring with you. Only take the best of your fighters, and leave the apostate here…"  
>Morrigan lifted her head from her mother's grimoire and narrowed her eyes at Eamon. For a brief moment, Bridget thought she might place a curse on the man, but instead she uprooted herself from her seat and stalked off up the stairs. Zevran pushed himself off of leaning on the nearby wall and walked over to stand next to Bridget.<p>

"Allow me to provide my services; I look forward to seeing the look on Loghain's face when he realizes I have joined forces with you."

Bridget chuckled and nodded. Leliana ran up to stand next to Zevran.

"I would like to come as well, I've been sitting around here for far too long without anything to do!" she exclaimed.

Knowing that Alistair filled up the last available spot, Bridget turned to Eamon.

"After you." She stated.

Eamon strapped his sword to his side and shot another glance at Alistair that Bridget couldn't read. Teagan went to stand next to him, and the six of them exited the estate and stepped out into the chilly air. Upon entering the outside air, things became very real very fast, and an uneasy feeling gripped Bridget's stomach. She swallowed and tried to calm her nerves. What was so important that she must know? And why did Eamon seem to want to keep it from her? As they made their way slowly through the streets of Denerim Zevran lightly touched Bridget's hand, causing her to look at him.

"Are you alright, Bridget?" he asked softly.

Bridget looked ahead to see Alistair, Teagan, and Eamon ahead of them, with Leliana following them. Bridget sighed and shook her head.

"There's something wrong…Teagan wanted to tell me something, but Eamon interrupted him before he got the chance. I'm not so sure what it was though…but I do not think that it was anything good. I'm wary of what this day might bring…"

Zevran smiled kindly and gave her hand a light squeeze.

"I still have faith that today will turn out well, in everyone's favor." He stated.

Bridget smiled at him.

"At least one of us has hope." She whispered.

Soon enough, the group arrived at the outside of the Royal Palace. Bridget looked up at the large castle and raised her eyebrows. She had not been here in Maker knows how long…yet nothing about the castle seemed to change…however; it did appear a bit gloomier than she remembered. Two palace guards opened the large iron gates and allowed them to enter the grounds of the palace. Because it was winter, none of the flowers or trees was in bloom, giving that added eerie overall effect. The trees were bare, as were the many bushes of flowers.

Bridget followed Eamon and the others and entered the large oak doors of the palace, only to be engulfed in a sea of people. The nobles of the lands were still trying to find their seats in the stands in the Main Hall. As for Bridget and the rest of the group, they would sit at one large table on the ground floor and present their case, whilst Loghain and his men sat at another table across from them to present their case. The Grand Cleric would stay on a balcony in the stands and make sure nothing got out of hand, and would try to keep the other nobles in line as well. Bridget looked around at the nobles she saw. Luckily for her, many of these men and women were friends of her father's, and thus knew her well. Surely they would show the same faith in her as they showed in him. Bridget let out a breath and felt herself become a little at ease. All of those nights she stayed up listening to her father talk politics with Fergus were finally going to pay off. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she touched the ring her father gave her on her finger. She would make him proud today. Bridget turned as Zevran nudged her.

"Isn't that the other Grey Warden we rescued from Howe's estate?"

Bridget followed Zevran's gaze and sure enough her eyes landed on Riordan who looked to be in much better health than he was the last time she had seen him. He made his way over to her.

"It is good to see you again, Bridget. I wish you luck with the Landsmeet today. I hope everything goes well."

Bridget smiled.

"Thank you, Riordan. I hope you have not forgotten my invitation to stay with us and Arl Eamon's estate…though if you have it is perfectly fine. If I were you I would just stay at the Gnawed Noble…you may find yourself in better company there." She stated.

Riordan raised his eyebrows.

"I take it the Arl has not been kind?" he asked.

Bridget shook her head.

"Well…yes and no. He has been very generous…but something is up…I fear my friends and I may have overstayed our welcome. I am just ready for this to be over with. We are losing precious time plotting against the Darkspawn because of all this."

Riordan nodded.

"On that I very much agree. I must take my seat in the stands…if you should need me for anything, Bridget. Please let me know. Although, you should already know where my vote lies." He replied with a wink.

Bridget smiled at him and nodded. The crowd was beginning to thin and soon enough she and the others were escorted into another room where they would wait to be called upon. Bridget looked up and caught Alistair's gaze from across the room. She smiled at him…but frowned when he quickly looked away from her and turned his back. Something was wrong with him…and Bridget was going to find out. She was just about to walk over to him when someone stuck their head into the room.

"You are about to be called upon by the announcer, please form a single file line."

Bridget stood in line behind Teagan who was behind Alistair and Eamon. She heard the horns of the guards, quieting the nobles in the stands. The Landsmeet was about to begin.

"Brothers and Sisters…today we are here to listen to Arl Eamon of Redcliffe and Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir of Gwaren. Both parties please come forward and take your seats."

The large doors opened and Bridget followed the others out into the Main Hall. All the nobles in the stands looked down on her and the others, and Bridget felt slightly uncomfortable. Her nerves continued to grip her as she noticed that Anora was nowhere in sight. Bridget swallowed. She wasn't sure if she could handle another double crossing from the queen…especially now when so much hung in the balance. Bridget took her seat and found herself in between Teagan and Zevran. She glanced down the table at Alistair and sucked in a breath. He was deathly pale…and looked rather like he would be sick at any moment. She turned in her seat to face forward to see Loghain take the head seat at his table. The man did not look pleased, but Bridget noticed he came in full armor. She gripped the hilt of her sword beneath the table. Loghain's table consisted of Ser Cauthrien, the woman responsible for throwing Bridget into Fort Drakon, and some other nobles that she did not recognize. Bridget noticed an empty chair and realized that it must have been for Howe. Smart of Loghain to leave his chair there…no doubt he would bring up Bridget's murdering of him…no doubt at all.

"Arl Eamon of Redcliffe will begin this debate. I will hand the floor over to him." the announcer said in a deep voice.

Eamon stood and looked up at the nobles.

"My lords and ladies, Banns, Teyrns, and Arls alike…I beseech you to listen to our argument well and that you will believe us when we uncover Loghain as the foul man that he is. He would wish to take _everything_ from you, your traditions, your freedom out of _fear_. He has placed us on a path of destruction and lecherousness, making us fight each other, making us fight the Orlesians who have, since the war, been our sister nation in trade! After all of this…are we to place our destiny in _his_ hands? Must we sacrifice everything that is good about our nation in order to save it?"

Bridget relaxed a bit as she watched the nobles. The majority of them looked to agree with Eamon's statement. Eamon retook his seat and set his gaze on Loghain.

"It is now Teyrn Loghain's turn to speak." Came the voice of the announcer.

Loghain stood and had a smug look on his face. He was quiet for a moment before putting his hands together and clapping.

"Bravo, Eamon…a _very_ fine performance indeed." He stated his voice full of malice.

Bridget clenched her jaw. Loghain continued.

"Unfortunately for you…it looks as if no one here was taken by it. A pity, truly."

Loghain turned and looked up at the nobles and placed his hands behind his back.

"Arl Eamon here, would attempt to place a puppet on the throne. All puppets have strings to be pulled by the master…and just who is this master you may ask? It is the Grey Wardens, specifically, _her._"

Loghain whipped around and pointed straight at Bridget.

"She is the horse's arse who shits on my name, along with every other Grey Warden in Fereldan. So tell me and the lords and ladies of the audience, how _will_ the Orlesians take our nation from us? I see you have one on your stand as it is already! So…will they deign our troops from us, or will they issue their commands through this would-be prince?"

Bridget stood and stuck out her chin.

"Funny, Loghain…it actually sounds like you believe what you are saying." Bridget stated.

She looked up into the stands and addressed the nobles.

"Orlais is _not_ the threat to Fereldan. Loghain has seem to forgotten that we are in the midst of a Blight. I have _seen_ the Arch Demon. This is _real. _And we are running out of time to prepare ourselves for the coming onslaught!"

One of the nobles, Bann Alfstanna of the Waking Seas stood.

"She's right. There are enough refuges in my bannorn to make that fact abundantly clear!"

Bridget smiled as Alfstanna nodded to her and sat back down. Arl Wulff of the Western Hills then stood and stated,

"The south has fallen, Loghain to the hands of those wretched creatures. Will you let Darkspawn take the whole country for fear of Orlais?" He took his seat and crossed his arms.

Loghain addressed Wulff, and Bridget noticed a little bit of his former cockiness seemed to not be present.

"The Blight is indeed real, Wulff, but the question is do we need Grey Wardens to fight it? They _claim_ that only they can end the Blight, and yet they failed spectacularly at Ostagar. And they ask to bring with them _four_ legions of Chevaliers! Once we open our borders to the Chevaliers…can we really expect them to return from whence they came?"

Bridget pursed her lips together. She looked to Eamon and he nodded his head. It was time they brought in their trump card…

"Loghain…you make a good argument, yet you are so deeply flawed that you cannot even see it. My lords and ladies, I have proof that Loghain _sold_ Fereldan citizens into slavery to fund his war!" Bridget stated.

Eamon stood and brandished the signed documents.

"These are the documents bearing Loghain's signature that Bridget found in the Elven Alienage, along with fifteen or so elves in a cage about to be shipped off to the Tevinter Emporium!"

Audible gasps were heard throughout the Hall as the nobles shook their heads ferociously. Bann Sighard of Dragon's Peak stood and shook his head.

"There is _no _slavery in Fereldan, explain yourself Loghain!" he demanded.

Bridget felt a surge of confidence as Loghain seemed to shrink beneath the hateful gazes of the nobles. He shook his head.

"There is no saving the Alienage…damage from all of the riots has yet to be repaired and there are bodies still rotting in their homes. There is no chance of holding it if a Blight comes." His voice seemed to waver as more gasps and looks of disapproval came from the nobles above. Loghain shook his head again.

"Despite what you may think, _Warden_, I have done my duty. I have done what was needed to ensure the good and safety of Fereldan."

Bridget raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

"You _duty_? Hmm…I wonder…was it also your _duty_ to send an apostate to poison Arl Eamon?"

More gasps from the audience sounded out throughout the Hall. Loghain narrowed his eyes and set his mouth in a thin line.

"I can assure you, Warden, that if I _were_ to poison someone, I would leave it to my own guards, not the discretion of an apostate!" he snapped.

Bann Alfstanna rose to her feet again.

"You lie Loghain! My brother tells a very different tale! He says that you snatched a blood mage from the Chantry's justice? Coincidence…I think not."

The Grand Cleric slowly rose to her feet and narrowed her eyes down at Loghain.

"Do _not_ think that the Chantry will overlook this, Teyrn Loghain. Interference in a Templar's sacred duties is an offense against the Maker Himself." She said sternly.

The nobles were beginning to heckle Loghain now. He turned and addressed the Grand Cleric.

"Whatever I have done, I will answer for later. At the moment, however, I wish to know what this Warden has done with my daughter!" he turned back to face Bridget on the last part of his sentence.

Bridget crossed her arms.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, playing the fool.

Loghain narrowed his eyes.

"Don't get coy with me, girl. You snatched my daughter, our queen by force, killing all her guards in the process. Does she even still live, I wonder after having suffered your barbaric ways?"

"I believe I can speak for myself."

Everyone turned to see Anora step out of a side door near Bridget. The nobles in the stands gasped, and Loghain himself looked shocked. Anora stepped forward and stood in the middle of the room, between the two opposing tables.

"Lords and Ladies hear me, my father is no longer the man that you know. This man is not the hero of River Dane. This man turned his troops aside and refused to protect your king…my husband…as he fought bravely against the Darkspawn."

Anora looked at Loghain as tears flooded her eyes.

"This man seized the throne before Cailan's body was even cold and then locked me away so that I could not reveal his treachery. I would have already been killed if not for Bridget Cousland, the brave Grey Warden and her friends."

Anora nodded at Bridget. Bridget looked back at the nobles.

"The queen speaks the truth." She stated.

Loghain looked down and shook his head.

"So…I see this bitch has poisoned even your mind, Anora?" he asked softly.

Anora narrowed her eyes at him. Loghain took a deep breath and looked up at the nobles again.

"My lords and ladies, our land has been threatened before! It has been invaded and lost and won times far beyond counting. We Fereldans have proven that we will never be conquered as long as we stand together! Do not divide yourselves now! Stand with me and we will defeat even the Blight itself!"

The nobles all stood.

"South Reach stands with the Grey Wardens." One of them stated.

Bann Alfstanna nodded.

"Waking Seas stand with the Grey Wardens."

Bridget smiled.

"Dragon's Peak stands with the Wardens!" Sighard shouted.

Arl Wulff stood.

"The Western Hills stand with the Grey Wardens…Maker help us." He added with a chuckle.

Bann Ceorlic shook his head.

"I stand with Loghain. He has lead us to victory before and will lead us to victory again."

Another noble supported Bridget. The Landsmeet was over…

Bridget turned to Loghain.

"The Landsmeet is against you, Loghain. Step down gracefully." She stated.

Loghain clenched his fists and his face took on a number of expressions before he finally narrowed his eyes and shouted,

"Traitors! All of you! Which of you stood against the Orlesians as their forces flattened your field and rapped your wives, eh?"

He then turned to face Eamon.

"You fought _with us_ once, Eamon! You cared about this land once before you got too old and fat and content to see what even _you_ risk!"

Loghain then addressed the nobles in the stands, flailing his arms about. He looked like a complete madman.

"None of you gets to decide what happens here! None of you have spilled blood for this land the way I have!"

In his rage, Loghain flipped the table that he previously sat at over and growled,

"How _dare_ any of you judge _me_!"

He drew his sword. Bridget shook her head and replied firmly,

"Call off your men and we'll settle this honorably."

Loghain looked at her and nodded.

"Then let us end this. I suppose we both knew it would come to this, Bridget Cousland…"

He was quiet for a moment before he said,

"When we met briefly at Ostagar I would not have thought so. I have clearly underestimated you. King Maric, Cailan's father told me once that 'A man is made by the qualities of his enemies.' I wonder if that statement is more of a compliment to you rather than me…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows. She was a little surprised by Loghain's sudden change in character.

"Enough. Let the Landsmeet declare the terms of this duel." He stated.

The Grand Cleric stood.

"It shall be according to tradition: there will be a test of arms in single combat until one party yields. We who are assembled will abide by the outcome."

Loghain nodded.

"Very well…will you face me yourself, or have you a champion?"

Bridget looked over at Alistair to find him looking at her. His eyes shined in admiration of her efforts thus far. Loghain took everything from Alistair, Duncan, his friends, it was only appropriate that Alistair duel him.

"I choose Alistair has my champion." Bridget stated firmly.

She walked over to Alistair and took his hand in hers.

"You deserve this, Alistair. I want you to feel the satisfaction that I felt when I killed Howe…it is only fair. I love you."

Alistair stared down at Bridget. His heart broke at the thought of what was to come. He caressed the side of her face and nodded before stepping walking towards the middle of the room. Guards had removed the tables from the center of the room so that there would be no obstacles in the way of the two warriors. Alistair stood in front of Loghain, a few feet apart from him and drew his sword and shield. Loghain drew his sword and shield as well.

"I did not notice before…but you look remarkably like Maric. He was a good king, your father…one of the best. If you do win this battle, I hope that you will continue his great lineage and rule as he did." Loghain stated.

Alistair said nothing in reply, but gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. For the moment, he let all of his worries leave him and made his head clear. He needed his entire attention to focus on Loghain. Alistair took a deep breath.

They started off by circling each other, each of them sizing the other up. Alistair knew his was not going to be an easy fight, but he had the resolve and courage to stand against this man and bring him down. The two men charged at each other full force. Loghain swung his blade and Alistair deflected with his shield. He then took Loghain by surprise and swiped his legs out from under him with his foot. Loghain crashed to the floor hard in his heavy armor, and Alistair took this opportunity to stick him with this blade. He thrust his sword forward, but it only bent the metal of Loghain's armor. Loghain quickly stood and bashed Alistair with his shield, knocking him off of his feet. Alistair rolled out of the way of Loghain's attack and charged at him again from a distance.

This seemed to go on for quite some time, slashing but not hitting, metal scraping against metal. Bridget thought for sure Loghain would tire at some point. Alistair had an advantage because he was a Grey Warden, and everyone knows of their renowned stamina. A cry was heard and Loghain fell to his knees. Alistair took a step back, looking surprised. Loghain swallowed and looked up at him.

"Funny…I thought you would be like Cailan, a child wanting to play at war. Who knew you had real…potential…" he coughed on the last bit of his sentence and blood spurted from his mouth.

"I yield…" he stated slowly.

Bridget and the others walked forward.

"You will die for what you've done." Alistair stated darkly.

"Wait!"

Everyone in the room turned to see Riordan walking forward.

"There is another option."

Alistair narrowed his eyes at him, while Bridget looked stunned.

"And what other option could that be?" Eamon asked, his voice clearly sounding that he had lost his patience.

"The Teyrn is a renowned general and warrior. Let him be of use, let him go through the Joining!" he stated.

Bridget nearly fell through the floor.

"Um…why exactly would you want to bestow upon him one of the greatest honors ever, exactly?" Bridget asked.

Riordan looked at her sympathetically.

"There are only _three_ of us in all of Fereldan, Bridget. _Three_. And there are…compelling reasons to have as many Wardens as possible to deal with the Arch Demon…" he explained.

Anora nodded.

"The Joining is often fatal, is it not? If he survives, you gain a general. If not, you have your revenge. Does that not satisfy you?" she asked a pleading ring to her voice.

Alistair shook his head and shouted,

"Absolutely not! Riordan, this man abandoned our brothers and then blamed us for it! He has hunted us down, he's tortured _you_! How can you simply forget what this treacherous man has done to you?"

Bridget nodded.

"Loghain must die for his crimes against Fereldan and the Maker." She stated.

Anora shook her head.

"No! You can't do this! My father may have been wrong, but he is still a hero to his people! Please!"

Loghain looked up at her and shook his head.

"Anora my dear…hush. It is over."

"Stop treating me like a child! This is serious, Father!" she exclaimed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Loghain sighed.

"Daughters never grow up, Anora. They forever remain six years old with pigtails and skinned knees."

Anora buried her face in her hands as she muffled her cry. Loghain turned back to Alistair and Bridget.

"Make it quick, whichever of you does it. I can face the Maker…and his Judgment knowing that Fereldan is in your hands."

Bridget nodded and looked up at Alistair.

"You should be the one to do this, Alistair." She stated and took a step back.

Alistair nodded.

"I will. I owe that to Duncan." He replied.

Loghain remained on his knees and bent his head forward. One of Anora's guards was holding her back as she tried to stop Alistair. Alistair raised his blade and without a second thought, swung it. He relieved Loghain of his head and blood splattered everywhere, all over Anora and those in closest proximity. Anora shrieked and shuddered as she looked at her father's headless corpse, and then down at her lavender dress that was now mostly red. She dropped to her knees and cried over her father's lifeless body. Alistair set his jaw and placed his blade back in it's sheathe. Bridget walked up to him and lightly touched his arm. Alistair didn't turn to look at her, however. Instead, he kept his eyes forward. Eamon cleared his throat.

"It is decided then, Alistair will take his father's throne."

Before Bridget or Alistair could say anything, Anora stepped forward.

"And just who are you to decide that? I am still queen. Alistair to my knowledge does not even want the throne, nor do I believe that he can live up to the responsibility that being in such a high position requires. I will remain on the throne."

The nobles broke out in arguments across the room before the Grand Cleric yelled,

"Silence!"

Everyone immediately quieted and looked towards her.

"I believe Lady Cousland should make the decision. She made all the right decisions in the Landsmeet, so I believe that she will also make the right decision here. I give the floor to you." She stated.

Bridget took a deep breath. This was it. This was the moment of truth. She looked at Alistair and smiled at him. Surely his frown would break out into a large grin when she announced her plan. She looked over at Eamon and saw him looking nervous. Bridget smiled.

"I believe that Alistair should be king, but I place myself to rule beside him as his queen."

There was a stunned silence throughout the room. Anora looked completely taken aback, and Alistair looked as if he had just been asked an impossible question. Eamon's face too, was shocked. Bridget's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at the nobles. She relaxed when she saw them nod and smile.

"I believe that is a splendid idea." Alfstanna said.

"It is not acceptable!"

Bridget whipped her head around to stare at Eamon.

"Why not? I am of noble blood, and I love Alistair deeply. I have with me my father's lands, all of Highever! How can you say this is not a good match?"

Bridget looked at Alistair briefly to see why he was not joining in on this important topic.

Eamon looked positively furious, the vein in his forehead threatening to burst.

"No. There will be no joint ruling between you and Alistair. He will rule _alone_."

That did it. Bridget's patience finally cracked and her temper flared well past it's boiling point.

"Will you _shut up_?" Bridget shouted.

Eamon, who had been trying to address the shocked nobles in the stands, slowly turned and looked at her.

"What?" he asked sharply.

"Shut up that never closing hole in our face! Ever since we saved your life back in Redcliffe you have done nothing but try to control Alistair and make his decsions. It was you who wanted him to be king in the first place, and now when I have presented that opportunity, you still denounce everything! A king must have a voice, Eamon, and that voice must be his own. Let _Alistair_ answer my proposal and let _Alistair_ speak for himself for once you overbearing arsehole!" she shouted.

Bridget took many breaths after her shouting match. All the eyes in the room were on her, and the air was still and silent. Bridget swallowed and regained her composure before turning to look at Alistair. Zevran and Leliana stood not too far behind her and looked at each other nervously. Zevran had confided in Leliana his discussion with Alistair and now was the moment of truth. Leliana bit her lip and clutched Zevran's hand.

Eamon clenched his jaw.

"Fine. Alistair, what are your thoughts on this great matter?" Eamon asked, boring his eyes into Alistair.

Alistair turned his gaze from Eamon's and stared into Bridget's crystal blue eyes that were shining with hope and happiness…two things that he was about to crush…

Alistair swallowed and walked towards her.

"Bridget…I-I am deeply honored by your intentions and wishes…but I cannot fulfill them, I cannot marry you." He stated in a choked voice.

More gasps filled the air and Zevran and Leliana looked at each other with shocked expressions. Alistair saw all the previous emotion from Bridget's eyes completely vanish and he was now staring into dull, dark, and cold eyes. Dead eyes…

Bridget blinked slowly. She felt as if the floor had suddenly split in two and she was falling between the created crevice. She felt so…so _betrayed_ so wronged…this feeling was worse than what she felt the night her family was killed. She did not want to cry in front of the nobles, did not want them to view her as being week…but damn them all she was not expecting this! Her lip quivered as a single tear fell from her eyes and landed on her chest. She looked up at Alistair to see tears shining in his own eyes. He rejected her with no reason…this whole situation made absolutely _no_ sense! Alistair licked his lips as he fought back the tears that dared to crawl down his face.

"Because we are both Grey Wardens, we cannot produce a child and,"

There was her reason, Bridget supposed. She shot her head up and looked at him. She felt another blow to her overall being with that statement. She wasn't sure how much more she could take before running out, screaming. She still felt the eyes of all the nobles in the stands boring into her, as if trying to see into her mind, to even begin to grasp what she was feeling. Bridget realized if she was told all of this from the beginning, all the things that she would lose if she became a Warden…she wouldn't have had any part of it, greatest honor or not. Although Bridget may not have openly expressed it before, she did want to have children, she wanted that sense of family that she no longer had…but apparently, she would not get it. She would never have a family again…and that fact alone would be enough to drive anyone off of the peak of sanity.

"You mean to tell me that my biological right was _taken_ from me when I became a Warden?" she asked softly.

Whispers arose from the nobles as they continued to stare down at the scene below them. After all, if a woman, a _queen _no less could not bear a child, what good was she? The answer was simple, no good. It didn't matter if Bridget loved Alistair to the very ends of the Earth. If she could not bear him a child, she would be nothing but a waste of space taking up a position that a woman who _could_ bear a child should have. Bridget felt her face burn. Riordan looked like he was about to say something, but before he was given the chance, Eamon clapped his hands together.

"We must confer with the nobles now, come Alistair."

Eamon dragged Alistair away as the stunned nobles left the stands and began to enter the ground floor of the Hall to speak with their soon to be new king. Bridget stood where she was for a long moment, all the sound in the room not affecting her at all.

She heard nothing. She felt nothing. Nothing but a sense of abandonment and coldness from the one she loved. She slowly turned to walk towards the back door before she felt herself almost fall. Before she hit the ground, both Leliana and Zevran held on to either one of her arms and helped her stand.

"Let's get you back to the estate." Leliana said in a soft voice.

Zevran glanced over his shoulder to see Alistair staring at them. Zevran narrowed his eyes and spat on the ground before turning back to the task at hand. He helped Leliana walk Bridget out of the room before Bridget doubled over and relieved the contents of her stomach. She fell to her knees and let out a strangled cry that Leliana and Zevran were sure the others heard. The door opened and Teagan and Riordan walked into the room. Teagan shook his head.

"I can bear staying here no longer. Come, let's get her back to the estate."

He lifted Bridget into his arms and hurriedly walked out of the down the hall and out a different entrance so that Bridget would not have to see Alistair and the nobles, and vice versa. Zevran looked at Riordan.

"You looked like you were going to say something before Eamon cut you off back there, what was it?"

Riordan sighed.

"Bridget and Alistair _can _indeed have children…it is just very difficult. We must discuss this with both her and Alistair and see if we can repair the damage that has been done here today. Maker…this is certainly a Landsmeet that will go down in history."

Leliana drew her brows together.

"Did you hear her…her cry?" she asked softly.

Riordan nodded.

"Everyone did, and none of the nobles look pleased with the decision. Let us just get back to the estate and wait for Alistair and Eamon there. Hopefully we can persuade Alistair to change his mind."

Zevran watched as Riordan hurried to catch up with Teagan. Despite how much he hoped for, something told him that Eamon had persuaded Alistair past a point…of no return.

**A/N**: _I apologize for taken so long with this chapter guys, but see it's nice and long just like I promised! Now don't hate me for what I've done here…I can't tell you what will happen…so you'll just have to keep reading to find out! Thanks again to all of you for your continued reviews, and please don't stop reading because of what happened in this chapter. There is still a lot more to come…:)_


	55. Chapter 54: The Broken Promise

Chapter 54

The Broken Promise

To say that Bridget was hurt would be the understatement of the century. In fact, she couldn't remember feeling this much emotional pain since the death of her parents, and even still she felt worse now than she did that terrible night. Alistair, the man she loved, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, had just taken her heart into his hands and crushed it. It was so broken…Bridget wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to put back the pieces. She felt empty, betrayed, alone…for she was alone now. All she had was Zeus, and her friends, but if they all did manage to survive the Blight, they would eventually have to leave her too and get back to their own lives. Bridget closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. If she could, she just wanted to fade from existence in this very moment. She felt like she could be sick again, but knew she would only heave air for there was nothing left in her stomach at all. Her lip trembled as tears fell from her eyes again. Bridget noticed Teagan tightened his arms around her as she let out a shaky sob. Bridget took comfort in his embrace for she desperately needed a hug. Soon enough, Teagan walked through the large oak doors and entered the foyer of Eamon's estate. As soon as Teagan stepped through the doors, Bridget wanted to go right back outside again. She couldn't stand being in this place anymore and wanted nothing more than to leave. Hell, she didn't even care that she'd have to go back to sleeping in her tent on the cold forest ground; she embraced the idea of it since anything would be better than staying in this hellhole.

"Can you stand, milady?" Teagan asked softly.

Bridget didn't answer him right away, for she wasn't really sure. Her mind was in a haze, and she felt like she was caught somewhere between reality and the Fade. Her head nodded of its own accord, and Teagan gently lowered Bridget to her feet. She didn't remain standing for long as she dropped to her hands and knees as a loud wail escaped her lips. At that moment, Wynne, Morrigan, Zeus, and Oghren rushed into the foyer. Wynne gasped as she scanned the room. Zevran, Riordan, and Leliana entered, but she noticed that Alistair was absent. Wynne looked from Bridget to the group and covered her mouth.

"Oh no…is Alistair…?"

Zevran shook his head.

"No. But he's going to wish he was." He replied darkly.

Teagan bent down to help Bridget stand, but she brushed him off and stood on her own before taking off and running up the stairs. Zeus bounded after her, barking loudly, wanting to know what was wrong with his mistress.

"I don't get it. What happened?" Oghren asked.

Leliana sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"Something very, _very_ bad."

_XxX_

Bridget bounded into her room and ran towards the window. She threw it open and stuck her head out of it and took gasping breaths of fresh air…and yet she still couldn't breathe. Bridget felt like a large iron hand was wrapping itself around her and squeezing her tight, trying to crush her lungs. She immediately tore off all her armor and it clanged to the floor loudly. Once she stood in her simple cotton shirt and leggings, she felt a little better, but not much. Bridget clenched her fists and turned to the nearby desk. She knocked off everything that was resting atop it, books, quills, and her journal. Bridget paused as she noticed something red sticking out of her turned over journal. She slowly eased herself to the floor, amidst all the papers and pins and broken glass from the ink bottles and gently lifted her journal. Underneath where her journal laid moments ago was the rose Alistair had given her. Bridget swallowed as she picked up the flower between her pointer finger and thumb. Because of Wynne's enchantment, it was still as fresh as it was the day Alistair had given it to her. Bridget wanted to rip the thing to shreds…but she just couldn't find it in herself to do it. The tears flowed freely down her face now as she lowered herself to the floor and brought her knees up to her chest, holding the flower against her heart. All those men who underestimated her before would laugh at her expense now, knowing they were right all along, for what brave warrior curls up into a fetal position and cries? Bridget closed her eyes as another sob shook through her body. She wanted nothing more than her father's embrace, for him to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright. But of course that wouldn't happen. He was in a much better place…why would he even think of returning to the mortal world where there was so much heartache and despair?

Zeus pushed the slightly open door open a little more with his snout and stuck his head in the room. His ears went down as he made his way over towards his mistress. Their eyes locked for a brief moment and Zeus bent his head and licked the side of her face. Bridget didn't budge but just shook again with another sob. Zeus trotted in a small circle before lying down next to Bridget. He wasn't going to let anyone bother her now.

_XxX_

Alistair stared blankly at all the faces in the room. He wasn't even paying attention to anything anyone said. All he could think about was Bridget, and the look on her face when he told her she couldn't be his queen. Her eyes were so distant…unseeing…unfocused. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen that look on her face, or if he had ever seen it before. She looked so…so _hurt_ so _betrayed_…Alistair didn't know what to do when he saw her again. He would have to try and explain, but something told him she wouldn't listen to anything he had to say. He was relieved when the nobles left and he and Eamon left the palace and made their way back to the estate. When he entered the foyer though, seven pairs of angry eyes glared at him, and no one looked none too pleased to be in the presence of the future king of Fereldan. Zevran and Oghren, who had been sharpening their daggers and axe respectively by the fire, stood and held their weapons in their hands so that the light in the room would reflect just how sharp they were. Eamon narrowed his eyes.

"Really? You would risk being thrown into Fort Drakon just for that girl?"

Oghren narrowed his eyes.

"She's not just 'that girl' to us you filthy nug humper!"

Alistair's eyes locked with Zevran's and he felt himself shrink underneath the scrutiny of his malicious gaze.

"You have five seconds to get to Bridget's room and give her a damn good explanation as to why you cut out her heart and fed it to a pack of mabaris before I relieve you of your head." He stated.

Eamon's eyes widened.

"How dare you speak to the,"

But the rest of his sentence was lost as Alistair was already at the top of the stairs. He slowly made his way down the dark hallway, as the candles had not yet been lit. Soon, he stood outside Bridget's already partially opened door. He pushed it open the rest of the way and his eyes widened. Glass, ink, quills, books, and papers were scattered across the floor. The window was open and a chill was present in the room as there was no fire blazing in the fire place. The room was dark, the only bit of light coming in through the window courtesy of the setting sun. Bridget sat on the edge of her bed, her back facing him. Zeus lifted his head and immediately jumped off of the bed, a deep growl resonating through his body and his teeth showing. Alistair took a step back as Zeus took one forward. Surely Bridget would call him off…wouldn't she?

Alistair found himself out in the hallway again before Bridget whistled for Zeus to return to her. The mabari did so…but he was _very_ reluctant to listen to his mistress. Alistair entered the room again, this time stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Bridget remained sitting on the bed, gently petting Zeus's head. Alistair licked his lips and sighed.

"I can explain." He whispered.

Bridget still didn't turn to face him, but raised her eyebrows.

"Can you, now? Can you really? Or are you just going to make something up to make me feel better?" she asked in a dangerously calm voice.

Alistair hung his head.

"Trust me, my love this,"

Bridget stiffened at the term of endearment and Alistair stopped.

"My love? 'My love'? You _do not_ have the right to call me that anymore." She hissed.

Alistair drew his brows together.

"But I still love you, I,"

Bridget through her head back and laughed.

"Oh you still love me? Really? That's funny because I don't call breaking someone's heart and embarrassing them in front of a handful of the most powerful people in the country 'love'." She snapped.

Alistair narrowed his eyes.

"Bridget listen to me, please! You have to understand that this wasn't an easy decision to make! I've been at _war_ with myself over this issue ever since we got here! There's nothing I can do!"

At this Bridget stood and whipped around to look at him. Alistair's eyes widened and he actually took a step back. Bridget looked very…off. Her hair was curled and frizzy, matted almost and her eyes were so bloodshot, Alistair thought she must've popped a few blood vessels in each one. She was also very pale, almost sickly.

"Nothing you can do'?" she repeated softly.

Alistair swallowed as she repeated it again, only louder. Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"The hell there isn't something you can do! You can grow a damn back bone and strengthen your resolve! Tell Eamon that you'll make me your queen, regardless of what he says! Stop listening to him and make your own decisions for once, Alistair!" she shouted.

Alistair sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"It's not that simple, Bridget. If you and I can't have children…"

Bridget shook her head.

"Riordan says that it _is_ possible for two Grey Wardens to have a child, it's just very difficult. But if we got a mage to make potions for me or both of us to drink, then we might have a shot!"

Alistair shook his head.

"It's too risky, taking potions is no guarantee that,"

"Dammit Alistair stop doing this to me!" Bridget shrieked.

Alistair looked at her to see tears rolling down her face. He felt worse than a pile of dragon dung…no, lower than that, lower than the most terrible and ugliest thing in Thedas.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

Bridget sniffled and set her gaze on him. She shook his head.

"What good are your apologies when you can't even keep your promises?"

Alistair looked at her but didn't say anything, so Bridget refreshed his memory for him.

"The lake after Flemeth nearly killed you; you promised nothing would keep us apart. At the hot spring after we made love, you promised the very same thing. And here you have broken both of those promises. You shouldn't promise something that you don't mean." She stated hurtfully.

Alistair sighed and was quiet for a few minutes.

"I did mean them, Bridget. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I love you. If things were different, I would make you my queen…but I can't. But…there is one way we can still be together…" he said quietly.

Bridget didn't reply. She didn't even look at him, so Alistair continued.

"I could always take you as my mistress and,"

Bridget sucked in a breath and looked up at him. Her face got so red in that moment that Alistair thought her head might explode. Bridget clenched her fists and sputtered,

"Your _mistress_? Oh I see…I'm not good enough to be your _queen_, but I'm good enough to be your _whore_ is that it?" she hissed.

Alistair shook his head.

"Of course not, I would never suggest that you,"

Bridget shook her head.

"But you just did." She said softly.

They were quiet for a minute, nothing but the sounds of Bridget's sobs and the wind filling the room. After a few minutes, Bridget said,

"Alistair…you are all I have left in this world. Please…_please_ don't toss me aside. Have _hope_ that we _can_ have children, hope is a very powerful thing…and we might just be able to if you would _believe_ in that…"

Alistair looked down at her as Bridget looked up at him.

"Please…don't make me beg…" she whispered.

Alistair felt a lump in the back of his throat. He hung his head and sighed.

"I'm sorry…"

He moved his hands and lifted his head back to look at her. He reached for her hand and placed the ribbon that she had given him in her palm.

"I can't." he whispered, choking on his own sobs now.

Bridget drew her brows together as she broke their gaze and stared down at the ribbon in her hand. Her lip trembled as she gasped.

"You cowardice bastard…." She choked.

Bridget looked back up at him and tore his mother's amulet from her neck and shoved it at him. She then slapped him so hard across the face, her hand print was left and his skin tingled.

"You fucking piece of shit!" she shouted.

Bridget ran past him and threw open the door. Everyone that was standing outside of it immediately parted and tried to look like they weren't just listening in. Bridget ran down the hall, her cries echoing off of the stone. Zeus growled at Alistair once more before bounding down the hall to catch up with her. Alistair stepped outside of the room to catch Leliana and Morrigan running after her. He looked around at the faces of all of his friends and felt ashamed. Zevran shook his head and made a disgusted face.

"I can't even stand to look at you." He spat before turning on his heel and storming down the hallway.

Oghren gave him the stink eye and shook his head.

"Always knew there was something wrong with you. Never thought it was just plain stupid, but that's what it is and that's you are. Just. Plain. Stupid." He grumbled before following Zevran.

Alistair blinked and looked at Riordan.

"Could there be a chance, if we got mages to help us?"

Before Riordan could answer, Eamon said,

"We don't need mages to possibly infect the child with magic through the use of potions. It would be terrible if your child, the heir to the throne was born a mage."

"This coming from a man whose own child is a mage." Wynne said disapprovingly.

Before she could leave, Alistair grabbed her hand. She turned and looked at him.

"Is there anything you can do for her?" he asked softly.

Wynne snatched her hand back and narrowed her eyes.

"I can mend many things Alistair…but a broken heart is not one of them." She said coldly before walking off down the hall.

Teagan narrowed his eyes at Eamon.

"I cannot believe you did this. You do realize you sound _exactly_ like the nobles who did not want you to marry Isolde so soon after the war because she was Orlesian?"

"This is nothing like that." Eamon replied.

Teagan scoffed.

"This is _exactly_ like that. You are discriminating against Bridget just because she is a Grey Warden. You have heard that it is possible that she and Alistair may conceive a child, and yet you are still against it. You, you…"

Teagan sighed and shook his head.

"Rowan would be ashamed of you." He spat.

Alistair saw a flash of something in Eamon's eyes, but could not discern what it was. Teagan shook his head and stalked off down the hall as well. Riordan then took his leave, saying something about booking a room at the Gnawed Noble, leaving Alistair and Eamon alone. Eamon swallowed and blinked for a moment before clearing his throat and clenching his jaw.

"Excuse me, Alistair." He said as he turned and went up the stairs to his office.

Alistair stared after him. Was that the ghost of tears he saw in Eamon's eyes? Or were the tears in his own eyes just making him see things? Alistair turned and slowly walked down the hall. He entered his own room and shut the door behind him. Alistair pulled off his bloody armor and sat on the bed. He leaned back against the covers and rolled over. Alistair took a deep breath. The servants must not have washed the bedclothes today, because the pillow next to his head still had Bridget's scent on it: lavender, with just a hint of cinnamon. Alistair closed his eyes as his own tears escaped him. He had just thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to him…and he was sure that no matter if something magically happened and he and Bridget could have children that she wouldn't want him back…not after what he did to her…

_xXx_

"Where could she have gotten to?" Leliana asked.

She and Morrigan stood in the foyer, trying to figure out exactly where Bridget went. Zevran emerged from the library.

"She's not in there either." He said worriedly.

Oghren trudged out of the dining hall with a cup of ale.

"Didn't see her in the kitchen." He said.

Morrigan sighed.

"That fool Alistair…I swear if he wasn't going to be king I would turn him into a toad and squash him." she said darkly.

Leliana drew her brows together.

"And since Bridget took Zeus, we can't have him sniff out her scent!"

Zevran eyed Oghren's cup of ale and snapped his fingers. The other three turned to look at him.

"I believe I know where our Bridget has gone, come on my tiny friend, if anyone can handle a drunken person, it's you."

Zevran dragged Oghren outside and the two of them headed towards the Gnawed Noble. Leliana and Morrigan said that they would check around the market place for her, just in case she wasn't in the tavern. The elf and dwarf entered the tavern and immediately set out to looking for Bridget. Oghren elbowed Zevran in his knee and tipped his head to the side.

"Found her."

Zevran followed his gaze to find Bridget sitting at the very end of the bar with her head lying down on the counter. Two empty mugs sat around her and she clasped her third one in her hand. She then lifted her head and downed the rest of the ale in her cup before slamming it down on the counter and asking for another one. Zevran and Oghren looked at each other before moving forward and sitting at the bar next to her. Bridget closed her eyes as they sat next to her.

"Don't judge me." She said softly.

Oghren shook his head.

"Please, you're talking to a dwarf. We answer everything with a cup of ale!" he chuckled.

Zevran placed his hand atop Bridget's as Oghren happily ordered himself a cup of mead. Bridget turned and looked at him, her eyes welling up with tears again. She squeezed Zevran's hand before she buried her face in his chest and cried. Zevran wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair.

"Shh…everything will be alright, my Warden." He whispered softly.

Oghren took a swig of his mead and patted Bridget on her back.

"Come on now, dry those eyes. Men are ten a copper piece. What you need to do is find yourself a gold piece!"

Zevran raised his eyebrows as Bridget pulled herself out of his hug and wiped her eyes.

"And please elaborate on what a gold piece is." Zevran stated.

Oghren shrugged.

"I'd say I'm a gold piece, but I don't want to look conceited. Ah hell who cares, I'm a gold piece!"

Bridget chuckled softly and Zevran smiled.

"How many cups ale did you have while we were away, I wonder?" she asked.

Oghren thought a moment and shook his head and swirled his mead around a bit.

"Bah, I can't count that high."

Zevran chuckled.

"Your liver must be made of steel, my tiny friend." He noted.

Bridget smiled and giggled softly. Zevran grinned. Her cheeks were rosy again, but he had a feeling that was from the alcohol…

"By the ancestors, we need a song!" Oghren shouted.

Bridget grabbed her mug of ale and downed the rest of the contents.

"Do you know one?" she asked.

Oghren shook his head.

"Nah, only part…but I don't think it's fit for a lady's ears anyway."

Zevran noticed a fiddle player begin to play a song nearby and slid off his stool. He put his arm around Bridget's waist and smiled.

"How about instead of singing, we dance instead?"

Bridget nodded and Zevran helped her walk to the middle of the floor where they began to dance. Oghren clapped his hands and noticed Teagan enter the tavern. As soon as he laid eyes on the dwarf, he hurried over to him.

"Please tell me you were able to find her?" he asked anxiously, worry present deep in his eyes.

Oghren nodded.

"No need to get yer knickers in a knot, she's out over there dancing with the elf."

Teagan turned and as soon as his eyes landed on Bridget, he relaxed considerably. Although he was quite sure the ale that she drank played a part in putting such a smile on her face, he was glad to see her happy again. He smiled as he watched Zevran lift her and twirl in place before setting her feet back on the ground. He really didn't notice before…but Bridget's hair was not just one shade of gold, but many different shades. Her eyes held a beautiful sparkle in them, and her smile just seemed to light up the room. She and Zevran hooked their arms together and spun in place. Bridget threw her head back and laughed. As she looked back up, Teagan caught her gaze. Their eyes locked briefly, and she smiled and nodded towards him, causing Teagan to feel a fluttering in his stomach. Oghren nudged him and Teagan turned back around to look at him.

"Careful now, don't want yer eyes to fall out of yer face, now do you?" he asked.

Teagan cleared his throat uncomfortably and pulled down on his vest. To be honest, he didn't even realize that he was staring. He avoided the dwarf's gaze as he said,

"I-I'm very glad that she is safe I um…I'm going back to the estate now."

Oghren laughed as Teagan fled the tavern. When Bridget and Zevran returned back to the bar, both of them were red in the face.

"It's no surprise that our lovely Bridget dances with the grace of the Dalish!" he exclaimed.

Bridget grinned and took Oghren's mug out of his hands and finished the rest of his mead (which was about half of the glass). Zevran looked at Oghren.

"She is going to have the hangover of the century tomorrow morning."

Oghren chuckled.

"Nah, not if she puts it to good use!" he exclaimed.

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her speech just slightly slurred.

Oghren looked at her and shrugged.

"Usually, I fight better when I'm drunk. That's when I can focus on something that makes me really angry, and channel that anger through the swings of my axe."

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Well, I certainly have a lot of anger right now…can you teach me how to be a berserker, Oghren?"

Oghren grinned.

"Thought you'd never ask, Warden! Come on, let's go!"

Bridget placed some money on the counter and hurried out. Zevran counted the money and made sure that it was the right amount while Oghren said,

"I think clown pants has got something for Bridget."

Zevran looked over at Oghren and chuckled.

"What? Who is this 'clown pants'?" he laughed.

Oghren looked up at him and shrugged.

"What's his name's brother, guy with the copper colored hair and goatee."

Zevran immediately stopped chuckling and looked at him.

"Wait, wait, wait. _Teagan_? You are talking about _Teagan_…Eamon's brother, right?"

Oghren nodded.

"Yep, that one."

Zevran followed him out of the tavern, trying to figure out why Oghren called him 'clown pants'. Must've been because of the stripes on them, he guessed. Zevran shook his head.

"Well don't stop there, how do you know he even feels this way?" he pressed.

Oghren stopped and looked up at him.

"What's that broad's name that you all worship, the one who has all those statues of herself?"

Zevran blinked.

"You mean Andraste? The Maker's bride?"

Oghren nodded.

"Yeah, her. Clown pants looked like she just appeared before him when he was staring at Bridget back in the tavern."

Zevran's eyes widened as he stared off after Oghren trying to catch up with Bridget. If what he said was true…which given Oghren's word wasn't very reliable, especially after so many cups of ale…but if he was telling the truth…

Zevran crossed his arms as a sly grin spread across his face.

"Hmm…perhaps if Alistair realized that someone such as Teagan was to begin to develop feelings for Bridget…he may begin to realize that he made a terrible mistake…" he purred softly as he hurried to catch up with Oghren and Bridget.

**A/N: **_Whew, I tell you what guys, this chapter was not easy to write so I hope all of you enjoyed it! I really tried my best to balance out the sad with some humor. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Next chapter should be up soon, I hope! :)_


	56. Chapter 55: The Calm before the Storm

Chapter 55

The Calm before the Storm

Bridget drew her brows together and frowned at the bright light tearing through the darkness of her closed eyelids. She opened her eyes slowly to find herself lying in green grass. Bridget slowly sat up and looked at her surroundings. She sucked in a breath as she stared down at the green grass of spring, her nostrils filling with the smell of the wild flowers that were planted nearby. She recognized her surroundings immediately…Bridget was home…back in Highever. Bridget slowly stood and scrunched her toes into the soil. The birds nearby chirped a beautiful melody. She followed it and turned her gaze south. She let out a shaky breath as she stared at Highever Castle, her _home_ standing proudly in the distance. Bridget smiled warmly as she felt a light breeze caress her face. That breeze carried with it a _very_ familiar voice. She turned her gaze to the side of the castle and swallowed. She noticed her father, looking younger than she had ever seen him, his dark hair glinting in the sunlight, carrying something in his arms. Her mother stood next to him, smiling and carrying a young boy on her hip. Bridget walked towards them and fell into step beside her father. She looked at his face and noted the light crinkles in the corners of his eyes as he smiled down at the bundle in his arms. Bridget's eyes then landed on her mother. Eleanor's golden hair gleamed in the sunlight, and her hazel eyes twinkled. She placed a soft kiss to the young boy in her arms who Bridget knew immediately was Fergus.

"She has your eyes, Bryce." Her mother said softly.

At her mother's voice, Bridget moved her gaze to the small bundle of blankets in her father's arms. She gasped slightly as she stared at herself, no more than a week old. Her eyes were big and icy blue, just like they were now. Bridget looked back at Bryce and her heart warmed at the large smile on his face.

Bryce nodded as he placed a soft kiss to his daughter's forehead.

"And she has little sprigs of golden hair, the same shade as yours." He replied, a chuckle rumbling through him.

At this, Fergus lifted his head from Eleanor's shoulder and crinkled his nose.

"She smells funny." He stated after removing his thumb from his mouth.

Bryce lifted his head from gazing at his daughter and chuckled again.

"There was a time when you smelled funny too, you know."

Bridget chuckled as Fergus looked appalled. Eleanor set him down and watched as he ran off to play with their mabari hound. She turned to Bryce and smiled at him as he placed another kiss to Bridget's forehead. Bridget watched as her younger self wrapped her tiny hand around Bryce's pointer finger. She lifted her gaze back to her father, and felt tears fill her eyes at the pure awe in his face.

"She is destined for greatness." He stated simply.

Eleanor smiled proudly.

"That she is my husband."

Bridget smiled warmly, but frowned as the scene began to melt away. Highever castle, instead of standing proudly as it was moments ago, was now engulfed in flames. Bridget covered her nose and mouth as she began to cough. The smoke stung her eyes. She found herself in the larder again. Her parent's lay amidst all the broken glass and burning wood, engulfed in smoke. Both of them looked beaten and on the very hinges of death. All happiness that Bridget felt a moment ago was replaced by complete and utter sadness. Eleanor reached for Bryce's hand, her gray hair scattered about her.

"B-Bryce…w-will Bridget be…s-safe?" she coughed and heaved against the smoke taking up the air in her lungs.

Their hands finally found each other and once they had, they squeezed them.

"S-She is a _Cousland_, Eleanor." Bryce paused as he coughed.

After a moment, he started again.

"No matter what is thrown at her, she will overcome it. She will _be strong_."

The tears rolled freely down her face now. Bridget reached out towards her parent's, but just as she did so, a large beam collapsed from above them and landed on them both, which shook the whole castle. A rush of flames filled the room as Bridget screamed…

Bridget sat straight up in her bed, gasping for breath. Her eyes darted around the room quickly as she placed her hand to her heart. Bridget licked her lips as she let out a shaky breath. Her head was pounding, though that probably had to do with the amount of alcohol she consumed the day before. She swallowed and sighed. Zeus was immediately at her side. He licked the side of her face and nuzzled his snout into her shoulder. Bridget hugged her mabari tightly and took a deep breath. Her father's last words repeated themselves in her mind.

"_She is a Cousland, Eleanor. No matter what is thrown at her, she will be strong."_

Bridget pulled herself away from Zeus and looked into his deep brown eyes.

"Father's right." She said softly.

Bridget swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood quickly, swaying slightly and nearly falling back to the bed. She shook her head and steadied herself, making note to never drink another (or at least that many) mugs of ale ever again. She walked over to the nearby mirror and looked at herself in it.

"It's time I stop feeling sorry for myself…and move on. I am a Grey Warden. I am a leader. In the coming weeks I will lead an army against the Darkspawn horde and they will need me at my best…and I sure as hell am going to give them my best." She vowed.

She knew the moving on part would take longer than a few weeks…but she couldn't dwell on that now. Alistair had made his choice (or been persuaded to for that matter), and if he didn't want her in his life, then so be it. Bridget opened her window and stuck her head outside. A rush of cold air hit her face, but it felt good and certainly woke her up. It was still early morning, as the sky was fairly dark. Perhaps everyone else was still asleep, and she could allow herself to go for a walk outside in Eamon's grounds. Bridget grabbed her cloak and threw it around her shoulders. She pulled up her hood once she finished lacing her boots. Zeus was at her side the moment she opened her door. They deftly walked down the stairs together, and slipped out into the grounds quietly.

Bridget took a deep breath of fresh air and sighed. Her head still felt like she was being hit repeatedly by a frying pan, and realized that Oghren's teaching methods probably weren't the best around. She thought back to the night before and chuckled. Every time she had done something correctly, they celebrated with a swig of his 'special ale'. Bridget rubbed her forehead and sighed. Yes, she definitely was going to put off any more lessons with the dwarf for _quite _some time that was sure. A dusting of snow spread itself around the grounds during the night, and it crunched beneath Bridget's boots as she walked alongside the walls of the estate.

"Oh, my lady I didn't expect to find you up so soon."

Bridget turned at the voice and her eyes landed on Teagan, who also looked as if he had just woken up. His hair was a little ruffled and he was only dressed in a simple white shirt and brown breeches, a big difference from his usual, nobleman's attire. He carried with him a pot of tea and a cup.

"I…I needed some fresh air." Bridget stated.

Teagan smiled at her. Bridget sighed.

"I may have had a bit too much ale last night." She confessed.

Teagan nodded.

"There's no need to explain yourself to me, my lady. I already had a feeling that was the case since you passed out while practicing with Oghren and I had to carry you to your room."

Bridget looked mortified. Now that she thought back, she _didn't_ remember how she got to her room. But why hadn't Zevran carried her instead of putting the burden on Teagan? Before she could ask, Teagan motioned to a nearby table.

"Would you like to join me for a cup of tea? I made this myself as I didn't want to trouble the servants, so I'm not sure if it will be to your liking or not…but you are welcome to join me if you wish to test your taste buds against my concoction."

Bridget chuckled and gave Teagan a small smile.

"I think a cup of tea would do wonders for this headache." She stated.

She followed Teagan to the nearby table and chairs and brushed the bit of snow out of her chair before sitting down. Teagan did the same as well as brushing the snow off of the table before he excused himself to fetch another teacup. He returned moments later with a teacup and saucer, as well as with a small plate of cookies.

"I thought perhaps you would like to munch on these with your tea." Teagan offered as he sat down across from her.

Bridget smiled and nodded, feeling an ebb of hunger in her stomach. Teagan poured her a cup of steaming hot tea and then poured his own. The two commenced into sipping tea and eating cookies, and were quiet for a few moments.

"This tea is wonderful, Teagan." Bridget stated.

Teagan smiled.

"Then you are the only person on Thedas besides me who thinks so." He replied with a chuckle.

Bridget smiled and reached out for a cookie. She plucked one from the pile and dipped it into her tea.

"So…has Eamon remarked on what we do from here? It will take time for the armies I have recruited to arrive in Denerim, weeks even. Will we wait here for them, or does he have something else in mind?"

Teagan swallowed the bite of his cookie he had and wiped his mouth on a napkin.

"My brother wishes to return to Redcliffe for the time being since Satinalia is just around the corner. You and your friends are welcome to go back with us, of course…or if you wish to remain here, you are free to do that as well. Eamon wishes to return to Redcliffe for the holidays though…in case this is his last to celebrate." Teagan explained.

Bridget nodded and mulled over a few things in her head before she replied,

"If I send word for the armies I have recruited to meet us in Denerim on First Day, would that be alright? I do not believe the Horde would reach Denerim before then…I would say I trust my gut feeling, but my gut proved me wrong yesterday so I am not sure what to do anymore."

Teagan looked at her as he drew his brows together.

"I am sorry I could not tell you beforehand of their plans, my lady. No one should have had to experience the coldness that you did yesterday. I am sorry I could not save you some heartache."

Bridget looked into Teagan's hazel eyes and shook her head.

"I probably wouldn't have believed you if you had told me, Teagan. I'm quite stubborn like that. Please, don't blame yourself for what happened. It's certainly not your fault." She stated.

Teagan gave her a small smile and nodded.

"Very well, my lady. I am glad that you aren't upset with me." He said softly.

They stared at each other for a moment, and Bridget felt a trust forming between them. Teagan felt it too, with a few other things as well. Bridget's eyes were as blue as the Waking Sea, and her personality was enough to match its fierce waves. He now understood how Alistair could fall in love with such a beautiful woman so quickly; her eyes were enough to capture you just from the beginning. Teagan also realized now what a complete idiot Alistair was for throwing such a powerful, strong willed woman completely to the side. Teagan blinked and took another sip of his tea. If he were ever lucky enough to find a woman who matched Bridget in any way, he knew for a fact that he would not let her go, not even if a king commanded him to. Bridget cleared her throat and shook her head. She looked down into her almost empty tea cup and noted,

"It's funny how you and Eamon are brothers…and yet you are absolutely nothing alike."

Teagan nodded.

"We are indeed cut from the same stone…but perhaps we were cut with different tools."

Bridget looked at him.

"That's a very cunning response." She remarked, with a twinkle in her eye.

Teagan smiled.

"Thank you, my lady."

Bridget shook her head.

"None of this 'my lady' nonsense. Please Teagan, just call me Bridget."

Teagan looked up from his teacup and settled his eyes on her.

"Very well…Bridget." He replied.

Her name tingled against his lips. Bridget poured herself a bit more tea and reached for another cookie.

"I believe we will accompany you and Eamon back to Redcliffe. It will be good to have one last celebration with everyone before the final onslaught. I will prepare letters for the mages, elves, and dwarves, letting them know of our plans and to meet us at Denerim's gates on First Day." She stated.

Teagan poured himself another cup of tea as well and nodded.

"I will let Eamon know of your plans. And I agree with you…it will be nice to have everyone together one last time before we face the Horde."

They both knew quite well that for some, this would be the last Satinalia they would celebrate, but neither of them said that as they continued to sip their tea and chat about other, lighter things. Zevran watched the two precariously from his window and smiled to himself.

"Hmm…perhaps I won't have to intervene here after all…"

_xXx_

The following events occurred to Alistair in a haze. He felt lost, beaten, like a part of himself was missing…and it was. Every time he pulled out his mother's amulet, he pictured it around Bridget's neck, resting softly in the space between her clavicles. He often found himself pressing the metal locket to his nose, to see if it had captured any of her scent…only to find himself disappointed. What he had gathered from only half listening was that they would be traveling back to Redcliffe, to celebrate Satinalia. Often times, he glanced over at Bridget…but their eyes never met. She refused to look at him, and all he could do was stare at her. He hated himself for what he had done to her, all of the heartache he had caused her, and for what? Alistair was getting to the point where he couldn't even stand to look at _himself_. He took a lot of heat from his friends too, most of them would not meet his gaze either, and those that _had_ to speak with him did so quickly so that they could get back to themselves. Alistair didn't blame them, though. He deserved every bit of the scorn, rebuff, and narrowed eyed glance he got. The day came when it was time to leave the estate, and he saddled his horse with his things quietly. He watched Bridget pet her horse's neck before placing her foot in the stirrup and swinging her leg over to rest on the other side of the graceful animal. Alistair stared at her and noticed what a profound effect the past few days had had on her. Usually, Bridget wore her hair in a casual bun, it was usually loose and bits of her hair would escape the pins…but now…her bun was severe, every sprig of her hair was held back, except for a few pieces on either side of her face. Those two pieces framed her face and made her look as beautiful as ever. Bridget turned in his direction and Alistair quickly dropped his gaze. He thought back briefly on all the nights they shared together, giggling and blissful in each other's arms. Alistair hung his head. He wouldn't find that type of love ever again, he just knew it. He climbed atop his own horse then and situated himself as comfortable as he could get. Alistair sighed as he looked over the rest of his friends. Wynne was trying to situate herself on her horse while Oghren held onto her for dear life, since he was too short to manage his own animal, he had to share with someone, and Wynne was the first to offer. Alistair turned to see Zevran whispering something into Leliana's ear and witnessed her blush and giggle before planting a sweet kiss on his lips and climbing on her own horse. Zeus trotted past Alistair then and bounded towards Bridget barking happily and wagging his tail. Eamon trotted up beside him and ushered him to the front of the group. Alistair shook his head.

"I'll just stay back here, if that's alright." He said under his breath.

Eamon looked at him a moment before sighing.

"If that's what you want." He stated before clicking his tongue and moving his horse forward.

Alistair lifted his head at Bridget's voice and turned to look at her. She was chatting with Teagan, who had ridden up next to her.

"The sky looks clear for now…if we don't get caught in a snowstorm, we should make it back to Redcliffe within a week and a half." She stated.

Teagan nodded.

"That will give us plenty of time to prepare for Satinalia. Were you able to send off those letters to the others?"

Bridget nodded.

"Yes, three contacts from each party were staying in the Gnawed Noble and said that they would deliver my letters to their respective leaders."

Alistair furrowed his brow. As the other Grey Warden of the party, Bridget should be talking to _him_ about these things, not Teagan. But then Riordan came into view and he realized she must've been talking to both of them. It was then that they all trotted away from Eamon's estate and out of Denerim's city gates and back onto the dirt path. Alistair sighed, knowing that a long day of riding was ahead of him. And it was. For the most part, everyone was quiet, but often times the wind carried Bridget's voice to Alistair's ears, making him perk his head up and find her chatting with Teagan again. Alistair furrowed his brow. A closeness had seemed to develop between the two of them, for Bridget was being very easy going with him.

"Ahem, Alistair?"

Alistair snapped back to reality as he turned to see Zevran riding next to him. Alistair blinked. Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"This is the first time someone has spoken to you in quite some time and you are choosing to ignore them?" he asked.

Alistair shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Zevran. I didn't hear you I was…distracted." He replied as his gaze drifted back towards Bridget and Teagan.

Zevran furrowed his brow and followed Alistair's gaze before a wicked smile broke out across his face. He was quick to hide it from Alistair's eyes, however and cleared his throat.

"I see you have noticed their closeness too." He remarked.

Alistair didn't say anything as he actually noticed Bridget smile. Zevran tried not to show his enthusiasm.

"She's been doing a lot of that recently, smiling I mean. In fact…Teagan has been quite the comfort to our Warden. I've spotted them taking walks and chatting about things as of late. They both appeared to be quite enjoying themselves." He stated.

Alistair drew his brows together and looked at the elf. Zevran continued.

"The pair of them look very comfortable together. I believe Bridget has found an everlasting friend in Teagan."

Zevran had to fight the urge to say 'and something more', because he did not want Alistair to know everything right from the beginning. Zevran could see the fear in his eyes, however as he glanced back towards Bridget and Teagan. Noting the torment on Alistair's face, Zevran decided that he had had enough teasing…for now at least.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on my dear Leliana." He purred, and with that trotted his horse over to the bard.

Alistair didn't even look at him as his eyes were so focused on Bridget and Teagan. He felt a surge of something in the pit of his stomach, but he didn't know what it was. The feeling was not a welcomed one, however, and Alistair decided to trot up towards Eamon, since he was close to Teagan and Bridget. Perhaps if he rode next to the Arl, he could hear exactly what they were talking about…and what was making Bridget smile so much. Alistair casually pulled out of the back of the party and rode up next to Eamon. He asked Eamon some stupid question, to make it look like that was the reason he moved towards the front. Teagan and Bridget, however, seemed not to notice. Alistair listened against the wind to their conversation.

"Now I know you must be pulling my leg!" Teagan exclaimed.

Bridget shook her head.

"I assure you, I am not. Of course, I had no idea that Fergus and Oriana actually _did_ do anything, but Fergus let it slip and therefore I had my trump card and could blackmail him into the next month."

Teagan chuckled.

"What a devious child you were, and only twelve years old." He stated.

Bridget grinned.

"I believe I get that from my mother's side. Since I had Fergus's confession in the palm of my hand, he _had_ to teach me a few tricks with the sword, or else face our mother's wrath."

Alistair felt his stomach do a small flop. Bridget usually only spoke of her family with someone she was close with. Exactly how much time had she and Teagan spent together in the days that followed the Landsmeet?

"Is everything alright, Bridget?"

Alistair turned his head slightly. Because his hood was up, they could not tell if the was slightly glancing over his shoulder at them, thankfully since that's what he was doing. Bridget heaved a heavy sigh.

"All this time has passed…and yet I still do not know if my brother even lives." She whispered softly.

Alistair felt a surge of that unknown, yet unpleasant feeling again as Teagan lifted his hand and rested it on Bridget's shoulder. Bridget lifted her head and looked at him.

"Once all of this is over, and if Fergus does not turn up beforehand, I will personally help you search for him. I swear it."

Alistair's eyes widened slightly as he noticed the life dancing behind Bridget's eyes as she looked at Teagan. Again another wave of that feeling overcame him, and Alistair snapped his neck forward, gripping the reins to his horse.

Maker…it was going to be a long journey back to Redcliffe.

_xXx_

Bridget's prediction was spot on...almost. The journey to Redcliffe did not even take as long as she thought. About a week later she and the rest of the party trotted across the small stone bridge and back into Redcliffe. The citizens greeted their Arl warmly, and Bridget noticed that the quaint village had decorated for Satinalia, despite the knowledge of the Darkspawn slowly approaching. Decorative wreaths were hung on every door and banners of red, green, and gold hung from lampposts and over doorways. It seemed that these people were determined to have one last celebration before all hell broke loose. Isolde stood outside of the castle waiting for them, or Eamon rather. As soon as the older man dismounted from his horse, Isolde nearly threw him down with a forceful hug. Bridget watched their exchange and tilted her head to the side. Eamon seemed like a different man in the presence of his wife. His eyes were warm, and he actually smiled. It was as if his cold, jagged shell crumbled while he was with her. Bridget shook her head. A pity he wasn't like that at all times. Eamon then picked up Connor as the young boy nearly flew out of the castle to see him. Apparently, the mages took into consideration Eamon's condition, and granted permission to let Connor return to Redcliffe for the holidays since Eamon did not get to spend any time with him after the curse was lifted. Everyone dismounted their horses and followed Eamon and Isolde back into the castle.

"Word spread here quickly of your victory in the Landsmeet, my husband. I am very proud of you." Isolde stated.

Eamon nodded.

"Yes well…it wasn't easy in the least." He replied.

Bridget noticed Isolde glance over her shoulder and look at her before whispering something in Eamon's ear. Eamon whispered something back to her, probably along the lines of "I'll tell you later" and left it at that. Bridget narrowed her eyes, but quickly shook her head. No use in getting angry over gossip, since there was no way she could prevent it. Bridget tried to get her mind off of that and noticed that the interior of the castle was also decorated for Satinalia. Red banners hung from the ceilings and against the walls, and there was a large decorated tree in the center of the main hall.

"I have done my best to decorate, or rather oversaw the servants as they decorated the halls…" Isolde's voice was lost as Bridget let herself sink into her thoughts.

Something didn't feel right, and she knew exactly what it was. Despite how much she _tried_ to forget about Alistair, he was always sneaking into her thoughts. Although he never remained there for long (if she could help it), and she practically never thought of him when Teagan was around, his absence from her side was always present. Bridget took a deep breath and slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder. Her icy blue orbs were immediately locked with his honey colored ones. Alistair gave her a small smile, a smile that she just couldn't return. Instead, she felt her eyes narrow and her mouth set into a frown before briskly turning her head back around. Bridget thought for a moment she saw hurt in his eyes, but didn't think much of it. It was his own fault…and despite hearing that if they got mages to help them conceive, that they had a chance, he was still against the notion of them getting married. Bridget shook her head and looked at her feet as she felt tears in her eyes again. No. She was not going to cry about this anymore, she was through with tears.

"In a about a week, on Satinalia, we will have our feast as usual, but we will celebrate the rest of the week before then as well. I've already received letters from some of the other Arls and Banns, saying that they will attend our feast and festivities as well." Isolde continued.

The rest of the day dwindled away slowly and soon enough, the meal for the night was ready and they all entered the dining hall and took their seats. Teagan sat next to Bridget's right as Zevran took the seat to her left. The rest of her friends took seats across from her, so Alistair would have to sit far away from them at the other end of the table. Bridget was so grateful for all of them, but knew she would eventually have to talk to her fellow Warden again because of the very reason that he _was_ a Grey Warden. Bridget decided to not worry over it now, however, and enjoyed her meal that consisted of boiled chicken and mashed potatoes and other assortments of vegetables. She tried to make conversation and be cheerful, but she just wasn't feeling it. Bridget excused herself before the meal was finished and decided she needed some fresh air again. She quietly grabbed her cloak and made her way out onto the castle's grounds, and found herself in the company of a beautiful full moon. Bridget wrapped her arms around herself as she walked out into the courtyard, sighing and seeing her breath form in front of her and then quickly vanishing again. Throughout the entire meal she felt Alistair's gaze on her, and often times she found herself gazing right back at him. Bridget kicked a nearby bucket and crossed her arms. How could she ever expect to get over him if he was constantly in her presence? She let out a shaky breath and sat on the edge of the nearby well, gazing up into the full moon and twinkling stars. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and sighed.

"Dammit." She whispered softly.

Bridget had vowed not to cry over this anymore…but she couldn't help herself. She felt so alone, so bereft….

"My lady are you alright?"

Bridget turned to see Teagan standing next to her. She looked up at him and swallowed, hoping that her hood covered the tears in her eyes.

"Yes I…I was just in need of fresh air. I felt like I was suffocating back there."

Teagan sat next to her on the edge of the well and looked at her.

"My lady…please don't feel as if you have to keep up a strong face just for me. I know you are hurt…and I know you must feel like the only person in Thedas…but you are not alone."

Teagan eyed her hand gripping the side of the well. He slowly moved his towards it but stopped. What if Bridget took it the wrong way, his placing his hand on hers in an effort of comfort, and thought he was trying to make a pass at her? Dear Maker that was the last thing he wanted her to think. Before Teagan could make a decision, however, Bridget turned to him and buried her face in his chest. Teagan, although momentarily startled by her sudden movement, did not waste any time embracing her shaking body as she sobbed into his chest. He thought of saying something, but remained quiet…thinking that Bridget had heard enough people tell her that everything was going to be alright. Instead he just held onto her tightly as she let out quite a bit of emotion. After a few minutes, Bridget calmed down and pulled away from Teagan slightly, enough to where she could look into his eyes. Teagan caught his breath. He wanted to wipe away the tear he saw clinging to the corner of her eye…he wanted to kiss her, to show her that someone could truly love her and not cast her to the side. The question was…could he be the one to show her that?

After all, Bridget was still vulnerable, having only a week and a few days ago been abandoned…she was not ready to let her heart open up to another man. Plus…what would the other nobles think? It was quite obvious that Bridget was not a virgin, and the knowledge of her having past relations with the future king of Fereldan was not something that went unnoticed at the Landsmeet. How would it look to them if Teagan were to one day court her? And then there was the prospect of her possibly not being able to give him children. Although, he wouldn't deny the mages help them as Alistair had…in fact, he would be all for it. Teagan sighed. Alistair was another problem altogether. He had known him since he was a boy, as they were only separated by a handful of years. Teagan didn't know exactly how Alistair would feel about him courting Bridget if they survived the final attack…but he had a notion that he wouldn't be exactly pleased…

"Did you hear me, Teagan?"

Teagan blinked and looked back down at Bridget. She was staring up at him and had a faint smile on her lips.

"F-Forgive me my lady, I did not."

Bridget nodded.

"I said thank you. Out of everyone you…you have provided a comfort to me that the others could not. You _listen_, Teagan. That is a remarkable quality, and one I hope you never lose."

Teagan swallowed. Bridget was making it considerably harder with each passing minute to remember to keep himself in control of his desires. This attraction was not a subtle one…Teagan realized way back when, when Bridget first approached him in the Chantry in the village he thought her beautiful then, and now that he had gotten the chance to know her, to see what a wonderful and caring person she was, that initial attraction was now ten times greater than what it had been. Bridget patted his shoulder and stood, turning to face the castle.

"I believe I should head off to bed. I'm pretty exhausted." She stated.

Teagan stood as well.

"Will you permit me to walk you to your room?"

Bridget looked at him and gave him a small smile. His formality was comforting as well. Bridget shrugged, hell she may as well admit it, all of Teagan was a comfort. Just being in his presence soothed her…calmed her. As they walked back into the castle together, she caught herself staring at him out of the corner of her eye. Not only did Teagan have such wonderful traits, he was also very handsome. Teagan held with him an air of sophistication, in a respectable manner and not a pompous one. He was witty and charming, his politeness being one of his best qualities… Before long they stood outside of Bridget's room, which brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to Teagan and smiled.

"Thank you, Teagan…for everything." She stated.

She opened the door to her room and slipped inside, nodding to him as he wished her a goodnight as well. Bridget rested her back against the door and sighed. Her mind was spinning with thoughts, but she was just too tired to make sense of them at the moment. She peeled off her armor and washed up in the nearby basin before pulling on her shift and crawling between the fur blankets on the bed. Zeus rested happily at the foot of it, laying on his back and his legs kicking in his sleep. Bridget chuckled softly and closed her eyes…only to find that once again, sleep was out of her grasp.

Bridget had trouble sleeping ever since the Landsmeet, except for the one night when she got drunk. She knew what her problem was, too. For so long now she had had Alistair lying next to her, holding her in his arms, whispering sweet nothings into her ear that she felt out of place being in such a large bed by herself. Bridget wondered if Alistair felt the same…was feeling her absence beside him as well.

"Damn…how can I ever hope to get over this if I still think about him all the time?" she whispered.

Bridget rolled onto her back and stared up at the wooden ceiling. The coming days were supposed to be joyful and happy…how was Bridget supposed to celebrate when so many things had gone wrong? She couldn't ignore the fact that she missed Alistair; she couldn't ignore the fact that this would be her first Satinalia without her family…she couldn't ignore the Darkspawn steadily moving towards Denerim. Bridget sighed and closed her eyes.

She couldn't ignore the fact that despite what had happened…she was still in love with Alistair…

Yes she was angry, yes she was hurt…but despite all of that, she still loved him. But the question was did he still love her? He said he did, but if he _truly_ loved her he would have never questioned making her his queen, Eamon's persuasion or no he would have stayed true to his heart…wouldn't he? Or had Eamon been so overbearing that Alistair really didn't have a choice in the matter? Bridget sighed and covered her eyes with her hand.

It looked as if she would be speaking with her fellow Warden sooner than she thought…

**A/N: **_Whew! Another long chapter for you, lovelies! I really hope you are all happy with this chapter; I had some difficulties writing it. As always, thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your favs/alerts! I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as I can!_


	57. Chapter 56: Satinalia Interrupted

Chapter 56

Satinalia Interrupted

The days leading up to the Satinalia celebration passed by slowly, which Bridget was somewhat thankful for. The days gave her time to rest, which she needed desperately. She was able to rest…physically; mentally however, was another story. She thought over many things, the Blight being the number one focus of her thoughts…but Alistair was also slipping into them as well. Although Bridget still had not spoken to him yet…their eyes seemed to be making contact more often. Bridget closed her eyes and sighed. She tried to stretch her back muscles as best as she could in her current attire, but only ended up feeling more uncomfortable. Bridget sat at the desk in her room in a corset, shift, and stockings.

She was in the middle of preparing for the Satinalia Feast and dance later on that evening, but wasn't quite ready to put on her dress yet. Bridget looked over her shoulder and eyed the clothing in question. The dress itself was very fine. It was ivory in color with golden threads sewn in to resemble vines and leaves. Bridget stood and walked over to the window nearby and rested her elbows on the sill. She furrowed her brow and stared out at the vast forests in the distance. Despite the relaxing and joyful nature of the castle, Bridget was not at ease. Something didn't feel right in the air…and she wondered if she was the only one who felt uneasy. Perhaps the others simply ignored the feeling, wanting to push it out of their thoughts so they could enjoy one last celebration with their friends and family. Bridget shook her head. She just couldn't do that. She frowned as she moved away from the window and back to the edge of her bed. She sat atop the fur covers and looked into her lap. There was another reason why she was not very joyful today…and it had nothing to do with recent events. Bridget wrapped her hand around her wrist where her ribbon was tied and drew her brows together.

This was the first Satinalia without her family…

Bridget closed her eyes and swallowed, trying to push back her tears. No matter how hard she tried not to think of them though…she just couldn't help it. She kept imagining what Oren's face would have looked like when he opened up the present she had intended to give him: his very own sword. Of course, Oriana would have objected, Bridget was sure, but just seeing the look on her nephew's face would've been worth angering her sister-in-law. Bridget smiled as she pictured her father and mother sitting by the fire, of Zeus playing with the discarded gift paper, and found herself tearing up. She quickly blinked and pushed her thoughts away as she stood and walked over and picked up the dress that she was to wear. She slipped it on without a fuss and was able to button it all of the way. Bridget returned to her desk then and looked at her reflection in the mirror in front of her. She eyed the kohl pencil and berry paste nearby and decided that she should at least wear some of the stuff. Bridget picked up the kohl and commenced into lining her eyes. Once that process was finished, she dipped the nearby feather brush into the pink tinted powder and applied it to her cheeks. Finally, Bridget dipped her finger into the pink berry paste and spread it about her plump lips. She then looked back into her mirror and tilted her head to the side.

"Hmm…I guess this stuff really does help bring out my eyes."

As if they needed any help standing out. Bridget ran the brush through her long tresses and then placed the holly head piece on her head. It rested just above her ears and really made her attire. At long last Bridget stood; ready to join the others downstairs. Bridget walked over to her bedroom door and opened it, stepped through, and closed it behind her. She eyed Zeus sitting a bit down the hall, gnawing on a large bone she had given him. Bridget smiled and turned to walk down the hallway. Zevran stepped out of his room wearing some finer threads and turned to trail his eyes over his companion.

"Well now…you look absolutely ravishing, my dear." He whispered.

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"You don't look half bad yourself, Zevran."

Zevran chuckled.

"Now if only I can stand being in these clothes throughout the night. I don't understand how these nobles wear these getups. I'm itching to get out of mine already. Perhaps you could help me do that, later?"

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"That's what you have Leliana for, Zev." She stated.

Zevran chuckled again and nodded.

"Indeed, although I still couldn't pass up the chance to ask you. Regardless, would you like me to escort you into the main hall where everyone is gathered?"

Bridget shook her head.

"No need, Zevran. I'll just walk in by myself."

Zevran turned on his heel.

"Very well, then. See you with the others!"

Bridget watched him walk off down the hall. She took a deep breath and followed after him, stopping at the top of the stairs. Bridget sighed and began to descend the steps. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She knew she couldn't avoid talking to Alistair any longer…and intended to speak to him sooner rather than later. She stopped at the foot of the stairs as a guard looked over his shoulder. He gaped at her for a moment before clearing his throat and announcing her arrival.

"Lady Bridget Cousland." He stated above the noise.

Immediately all eyes in the room darted towards her. Just as soon as their eyes landed on her, whispers began to fill the air. No doubt the details of the Landsmeet had spread all over Fereldan by now…

Bridget swept her eyes over the crowd and saw Alistair in the distance. A few of the noblemen's daughters surrounded him, and Bridget frowned. They were practically _throwing_ themselves at him…what was worse was Alistair looked as if he were enjoying it. He was smiling and laughing, but then he turned his gaze and their eyes locked…and Alistair's jaw dropped. Bridget quickly tore her eyes away from him and nodded to some of the nobles nearby before walking towards the refreshment table and grabbing a goblet of wine. She downed it's contents immediately. Maker…it was going to be a long night.

_xXx_

When Alistair's eyes landed on Bridget, his very breath escaped him. Her golden hair gleamed, reflecting the glow of the candles it seemed. She looked absolutely beautiful…almost resembling the very vision of Andraste herself. Her gown was ivory and held intricate designs of twining vines and leaves sewn in throughout the gown with a golden thread. The dress complimented her figure _very_ well. Her curves were certainly showed off to every man in the room, and every man had certainly noticed.

"Women had better hold onto their husbands tonight." He heard a nearby servant whisper to her friend who giggled and nodded in reply. Alistair's eyes widened when their eyes caught, but just as quickly as they had locked, Bridget broke the contact and disappeared in the sea of people. Alistair made to move towards her, but was stopped again when another annoying girl stood in front of him. Maker, Alistair didn't know why all these women had such a sudden interest in him, they were honing in on him as if he were the only man in the room! He tried scanning the crowd with his eyes again, but it was to no avail. Alistair sighed, realizing that the only way he would escape this horde of giggling girls was if he conversed with them and tried to look like he was enjoying himself.

The hours began to slip by slowly, and Bridget was getting infuriated by the second. Why did Alistair look like he was enjoying the company of those other women so much? She had tried to take her mind off of him by dancing with Zevran and Teagan even…but her eyes kept going back to Alistair. Bridget sighed and rolled her eyes. Apparently Alistair had already forgotten about her since he seemed to be enjoying himself with the other noblemen's eligible daughters. If it was so easy for him, why was it so hard for her? Why couldn't she stop thinking about him…stop loving him? Bridget cast her eyes back over towards Alistair once again and gripped her wine goblet so tight; her knuckles grew white from the strain. Bann Wulff's daughter reached up and planted a kiss on Alistair's cheek before whispering something in his ear that made his face glow red. Bridget pursed her lips together and cut her eyes into thin slits.

"Careful with that goblet, Bridget. Grip it any tighter and you will break it, I am quite sure." Zevran said.

Hearing his voice snapped Bridget out of her thoughts and she turned to him. Zevran smiled at her and eased the goblet from her hands and set it on the edge of a nearby table.

"I see you have noticed the…attention Alistair has been receiving no doubt…" he whispered.

Bridget swallowed and nodded.

"It wouldn't hurt as much if he didn't look like he was enjoying it!" she hissed.

Zevran put an arm around her and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"There, there my dear, don't trouble yourself with Alistair. Why don't you step out on the balcony and get some fresh air, eh? You look as if you need some." He suggested.

Bridget looked at him and nodded. She glanced once more over at Alistair and his band of giggling admirers before storming off across the room heading towards the balcony. Zevran grinned sneakily.

"Now to find someone to comfort Bridget in her time of need…"

Zevran immediately looked around the room for Teagan. He found the Bann sitting apart from everyone else, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else than here. Zevran expertly traversed through the crowd until he came to the table Teagan occupied and sat down next to him.

"Wonderful celebration this is, wouldn't you agree, my friend?" he asked casually.

Teagan drew his brows together and looked at the elf. Zevran noticed he too had been watching Alistair.

"For some, yes. But there are others who would rather be anywhere but here, I am sure." He replied quietly.

Zevran nodded understandingly.

"You must be speaking about our lovely Warden, yes?" he asked.

Teagan nodded.

"Indeed I am. She seems preoccupied…and now I see why that is." He said as he motioned towards Alistair and his little group.

Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"True…though to me she appeared to be having a wonderful time, especially when you were dancing with her." He stated.

Teagan blinked as he stared at the elf quizzically.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

Zevran chuckled and patted Teagan on his shoulder.

"Ah my troubled friend, I have been around and know when a woman is enjoying herself or not. Trust me when I say that Bridget was indeed having a _splendid_ time when you were in her presence. It seems that whenever you are around she smiles and acts like her old self for a change." He explained.

Teagan opened his mouth to ask Zevran something, but Zevran cut him off.

"In fact, I witnessed our poor Bridget storm out onto the balcony only moments ago…perhaps you should see if she is alright?"

Teagan shook his head.

"I…but you know her so much better than I…surely it would be better if,"

Zevran shook his head.

"I'm afraid I cannot offer what Bridget needs at the moment…" he stated.

When Teagan remained quiet, Zevran sighed.

"If anything, perhaps you could persuade her to rejoin the party? She looks so…so radiant tonight. It would be a shame for her to look so beautiful and no one to see her. You do agree that she is…beautiful this evening…don't you?"

Teagan cleared his throat and looked into his lap.

"Of course I do…I would have to be blind to say otherwise."

Zevran grinned.

"Wonderful, I will see you later, then." He stated as he stood and disappeared back off into the crowd.

Teagan stood and walked as quickly as he could towards the balcony without anyone noticing. Alistair, however, noticed and was _finally_ able to get away from the young ladies and followed Teagan discreetly. Alistair came to a halt as Teagan stepped out onto the balcony, but noticed that he had left the door slightly ajar. Alistair hid himself in one of the long curtains and looked through the door's opening to find Teagan approach Bridget. Because of the noise in the hall, he had to strain his ears to listen. Alistair sucked in a breath as he blocked out the noise in the hall and listened closely to Teagan's and Bridget's voices.

_xXx_

Bridget gripped the stone wall of the balcony until her fingers could no longer withstand the strain. She let out a heavy sigh as she stared out at the forest again. After seeing Alistair's little display back in the hall, Bridget wasn't sure if she _wanted_ to speak to him again. Everything he did seemed to be just another dig at her, at their failed relationship. Bridget wanted to scream, scream until she couldn't scream anymore. She wanted to hit something, throw something, anything than to stand there and pretend like nothing happened. Bridget sighed and shook her head. It wasn't worth it…it just wasn't worth it, and quite frankly, she didn't have the energy to deal with it anymore. She just didn't understand despite everything, her stomach still fluttered at the very sight of Alistair.

"My lady…are you well?"

Bridget turned to see Teagan walking towards her. She gave him a small smile.

"You always seem to know whenever I'm upset." She stated.

Teagan smiled and stood next to her.

"Call it a talent I guess…or perhaps rather, an instinct."

Bridget quirked her brow at him, so Teagan continued.

"Whenever my sister, Rowan was angry or upset, she always seemed to find herself outdoors, and that's where I always knew to look for her. She said to me once that the wind was a comfort to her…and just feeling it blow past her was enough to ease her mind."

Bridget nodded.

"I feel that way as well. Fresh air used to be able to solve all my problems, or at least help me think through my problems…but it seems I am inconsolable tonight." She replied quietly.

Alistair furrowed his brow as he watched from his hiding place. Teagan moved closer to her.

"If you will allow me…I can try to comfort you. As you said before, I am a good listener."

Bridget looked at him and then sighed and turned her gaze back to the forest in the distance.

"I have no doubt you saw Alistair with his group of admirers…" she said coldly.

Teagan nodded. Bridget swallowed.

"It infuriates me that he has seemed to forget me already, that all it took was some young girl to bat her eyelashes at him and he'd be enraptured by her…ugh...it…it just hurts to know that he has forgotten me so quickly." she explained.

Alistair hung his head. In truth he didn't enjoy those girls throwing themselves at him for an instant…he just thought if he looked like he was enjoying himself, he could get away faster…but in the process all he had done was upset Bridget even more. He stiffened as he noticed Teagan place his hand on top of Bridget's.

"My lady, if Alistair were to forget someone as remarkable as you within only a week or two, then I do not believe he ever loved you as much as he said he did. If I were in his shoes I…I would never have let you go." He replied softly.

Alistair narrowed his eyes and watched Bridget's reaction. She stared at Teagan for a moment before she shook her head.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." She stated.

Bridget turned her head but Teagan gently raised his hand and held her chin in it. He slowly turned her head back to face him.

"No, I'm not. I mean what I say, my lady. I would _never_ let you go…if I were lucky enough to have you." He whispered.

Alistair's eyes darted from Bridget to Teagan as the nerves in his stomach continued to tie themselves into intricate knots. The two stared at each other for a long moment before Teagan whispered,

"May…May I kiss you…my lady?"

It was all Alistair could do to hold himself back from barging in on them and dragging Bridget away. He felt as if he sat atop pins and needles….Alistair watched helplessly as Teagan closed his eyes and leaned forward…their lips were just inches apart when suddenly, Bridget turned her head and he caught the side of her cheek. Alistair watched, baffled as Bridget sighed and Teagan pulled away slowly.

"I am sorry…Teagan…but I…I can't." she whispered softly.

Teagan drew his brows together.

"Have I offended you, my lady?"

Bridget shook her head.

"No…it's not you. It…I still love Alistair." She confessed slowly.

Alistair's eyes widened. He swallowed as he continued to listen to their conversation.

Teagan furrowed his brow.

"But…he hurt you so terribly, embarrassed you in front of all those nobles…how can you still care for a man that caused you so much pain?"

Bridget pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath.

"I don't know…I honestly don't know. Yes he hurt me, yes he broke my heart but…I can't stop it. I can't stop loving him. I can hate what he did to me as much as I want, but no matter how hard I try to forget him…he will always be in my thoughts…and in my heart." She whispered.

Teagan didn't say anything…couldn't say anything. He just stared at her as if she were mad. Bridget felt her lip tremble and she briskly turned on her heel and walked back towards the door. She stepped back into the festivities and hurried up the stairs, back to the second floor. Unbeknownst to her, Alistair followed. He made it up the stairs in enough time to see the hem of Bridget's dress disappear behind the door to the library. He quickly hurried towards the door and opened it just enough so he could slip in. The room was dimly lit; the only light was coming from the fireplace which Bridget was standing in front of. She crossed her arms and shook her head. At the sound of hearing the door close, she turned quickly and her eyes landed on Alistair.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" she asked softly.

Alistair walked over towards her and stood next to her, but kept a small space between them, for now at least. They were quiet for a long while before Bridget asked,

"How much did you hear?"

Alistair looked at her, amazed. He thought he was hidden perfectly well in the confines of that curtain. When he didn't say anything, Bridget looked up at him.

"I saw your feet when I came back into the main hall."

Alistair cleared his throat as he mentally cursed himself.

"And here I thought curtains could be a new disguise…"

Noting that she didn't laugh at his joke, Alistair answered her question.

"I…I heard everything and saw everything…"

Bridget rolled her eyes and turned her back to him.

"Why don't you just leave and get back to your adoring fans…I'm sure they are quite melancholy that you are not with them anymore…"

Alistair shook his head.

"I wasn't enjoying myself with those girls in the least…besides now you're trying to change the subject. Do you…do you really still love me?"

It took a while before Bridget said anything. While Alistair waited for her reply, he let his gaze travel down her figure. He missed seeing her hair glow against the fire. Alistair took a deep breath and relished the smell of her scent filling his nostrils. Maker…he had missed her.

"Yes."

Alistair snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice. Although she still had not turned to look at him, he noticed that her shoulders were not as stiff as they were a moment ago.

"Although I am a fool for still feeling this way…I do still love you, Alistair."

Alistair walked up behind her and slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and whispered,

"I still love you; I never stopped, not for a moment."

Bridget pulled herself out of his grasp and shook her head.

"No. Don't touch me…it's only going to make things more difficult in the end."

Alistair looked at her.

"What do you mean? Since you still love be doesn't that mean…don't you want to be my mistress?" he asked.

It took everything Bridget had to not slap him again when he said that. She swallowed and tried to keep her temper in check. After a moment of cooling down she asked,

"Do you even realize what you ask me when you suggest that?"

Alistair remained quiet as he racked his brain for the answer. Bridget sighed.

"Alistair…by asking me to be your mistress, you are asking me to be the _other_ woman. Think of how your future wife would feel about that. Knowing that her own husband does not even love her, knowing that his heart lies with another…"

Alistair shook his head.

"No, _she_ would be the other woman, not you, never you." He stated.

Bridget closed her eyes.

"That's not how it works, Alistair. I could not bear to bring so much sorrow to that poor woman, knowing that I am the cause of her pain would tear me apart. I cannot bring myself to do that. Nor can I bring more shame to the Cousland name than I already have."

Alistair furrowed his brow, so Bridget continued.

"When I was younger and my relations with Gilmore became known…what do you think the other noblewomen called me? I became nothing but the 'Cousland Whore'. My father…although he did not outwardly express it…I could see the disappointment in his eyes. Becoming the mistress of the king would only bring further shame to my name and my family's legacy. I brought shame to my family once…I will not do it again."

Alistair looked at Bridget for a long moment, and she looked right back at him.

"So…what does that mean…for us?" he asked.

Bridget swallowed down the lump in her throat and blinked.

"It means that from now on…we are strictly business…and if we both manage to survive the Blight well…we will part as friends or unlikely acquaintances."

Alistair was quiet for a long moment as he stared at his love. Bridget mimicked his actions and swept her own eyes over him as well. Alistair looked different in noble clothing…and looked as if he were trying to adjust to everything still. She gazed into his eyes and noted how the fire warmed his honey colored orbs. Before she realized it, Alistair had enveloped her in a tight hug. Although she stiffened at first, Bridget found herself giving in to his embrace. Alistair held her tight as he stroked her hair, feeling the smooth tresses slipping through his fingers comforted him in a way.

"I'm so sorry…" he whispered as he fell to his knees, pulling Bridget to hers as well.

Bridget hugged him back tightly and blinked as a few tears fell from her eyes.

"I know." She replied softly

Alistair pulled back ever so slightly after holding her for quite some time and stared into her eyes. He couldn't help himself. The way she was looking at him…made him want her even more. Alistair claimed her mouth in a slow kiss and closed his eyes. He missed the feel of her lips pressed against his, moving with his. Before the kiss got too deep, Bridget pulled back and shook her head.

"No…don't, Alistair. Things will only be difficult later…" she whispered.

Alistair sighed and nodded.

"You're right…" he replied.

Despite this knowledge, however, neither of them made to move apart from each other. Alistair slowly ran his thumb against Bridget's cheek. Bridget closed her eyes and sighed.

"To hell with it all." She whispered before kissing him deeply.

Alistair closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tighter around Bridget. Maker he missed having her in his arms. His hand tangled itself in her hair as he fell back against the rug covering the stone floor. The moment his tongue slid across her lip, Bridget immediately opened her mouth and let his tongue find hers. Maker, Alistair couldn't remember the last time they had performed the 'Orlesian kiss', and took a moment to just loose himself to his senses. They rolled and Alistair found himself atop Bridget. He kissed her fiercely, hungrily, knowing that he may not get the chance to again. Alistair broke the kiss and took a deep breath. He stared down at Bridget, and his heart swelled at the sparkle in her eyes. He returned to her, at her neck this time, placing kisses down her throat. He let his tongue taste her skin covering her collar bone, and smiled when he realized her fingers were in his hair. He continued to splay kisses about her upper chest, kissing the tops of her breasts that were pushed up right under his nose thanks to her corset. Alistair didn't have time to react when she hooked her leg between his knees and flipped them once more. He winced when Bridget rubbed up against his arousal. Noticing, and feeling it, Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Missed me, did you?" she asked with a laugh.

Alistair chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Must you even _ask_?"

Bridget gave him a saucy smile before she ran her fingers down his chest. Once at his breeches, she pulled the fabric of his shirt up and out of it's tucked in state. Once Bridget could slip her hands under the fabric, she did so and danced her fingers across Alistair's chest, tracing over the contours of his muscles there. She returned to his lips while her hands were busy and kissed him deeply. Alistair didn't think it was really fair of her to be able to touch his bare skin, so he snuck his hands under her dress and ran them up her stocking covered legs. He was beginning to think that she was wearing full stockings before he reached her thighs and he felt her bare, heated skin beneath his hands. He quirked a brow and smirked when Bridget broke the kiss.

"Thigh high stockings? How very _scandalous_ of you." He chuckled.

Bridget threw her head back and laughed.

"Please, they were cheaper than the full stockings. There's nothing scandalous about trying to save a few coins." She stated.

"Right…"

Bridget lowered herself to Alistair again and claimed his mouth in another heated kiss. While she did that, Alistair continued to run his hands up further and grinned against her lips as he gripped her bottom. Bridget smiled against his lips before leaving them to trail her kisses down his jaw and neck…

_xXx_

Zevran glanced at the clock in the main hall before deciding to check on Bridget and Teagan. Once again, he maneuvered through the crowd deftly before coming up to the door leading to the balcony. He slightly opened it, only to find himself dismayed. Teagan stood alone on the balcony, looking out at the distant forest. Zevran furrowed his brow as he stepped outside and joined him. Teagan didn't remove his gaze from the forest. Zevran sighed.

"Might I ask what happened?"

Teagan looked down before turning to face Zevran.

"I tried to comfort her…nearly kissed her even before…well…"

Zevran furrowed his brow. Teagan cleared his throat and said,

"She confessed that despite everything…she still loves Alistair."

Zevran hung his head and sighed.

"I had not anticipated this…I am sorry, Teagan."

Teagan's reply was lost to Zevran as he pondered over things. Now that he realized it…he hadn't noticed Alistair in the main hall for quite some time now…perhaps….

Zevran's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as his ears twitched, picking up on something far away in the distance.

"Did you hear something?" he asked.

Teagan looked at him.

"No, not apart from the celebrations in the hall, I haven't heard," he paused as he took a breath. Teagan looked straight at Zevran.

"Do you smell smoke?"

Both of them turned in the direction of the village and gasped, many of it's buildings were caught up in flames! Teagan and Zevran ran back into the main hall just as some guards barged in from the main entrance.

"It's Darkspawn! They've attacked the village! They,"

The young guard's sentence was lost as he fell forward, and arrow protruding from the back of his skull. About twenty Darkspawn stood at the entrance to the main hall, a Hurlock and Genlock Alpha at the head of the pack. They raised their weapons and released a strangled, horrid battle cry before charging in. Zevran looked to Teagan.

"I'll find Bridget and Alistair, try and get everyone to safety!"

Zevran tore up the stairs and skidded into the hallway. He threw open the doors to both of their rooms, but couldn't find either of them. Zevran did however grab their weapons and a few pieces of armor before running out and down the hall. He turned the corner and collided into Bridget and Alistair. Zevran looked over them for just a second and noted their flushed faces with a smile.

"Zevran what's happened, we heard screams." Bridget said frantically.

Zevran shook his head getting back to the problem at hand.

"It's the Darkspawn, they've invaded the village and twenty or so are in the main hall now! I've brought your weapons and what armor I could carry. You have to hurry!"

Zevran turned to fetch his own daggers before he glanced at Alistair and whispered,

"You may want to lace up your breeches, my friend."

Alistair blushed furiously and Zevran chuckled to himself as he ran down the hall.

Bridget threw on her gauntlets and laced up her boots. She cut her dress to her knees with her sword so she could move around more easily before picking up her shield and hurrying down the hallway. Alistair followed after her. By the time they made it to the main hall, a few men had already fallen. Bridget wasted no time coming to everyone's aid. Although she was mostly exposed, she didn't care. What mattered most were the lives of the nobles in the room. Morrigan stood nearby, a fire ball at the ready in her hands. She almost cast it before Leliana grabbed her arm.

"You can't do that here! You might hit one of the nobles!" she exclaimed.

Morrigan rolled her eyes and the fireball evaporated before she conjured one of ice.

"Fine, I will use ice then. They have a better chance of surviving if they happen to cross paths with it."

Bridget knocked a Genlock back with her shield before he could devour Arl Wulff's leg and swung her sword to the Hurlock that was coming towards her. Oghren rushed to her aid as another Genlock hurried towards her. Bridget thanked him, then ducked as an arrow whizzed past her. Bridget scanned the room and her heart nearly stopped at the sight she saw in the distance. The Hurlock Alpha had cornered Eamon, Isolde, and their son in a corner. Bridget gripped her sword and ran towards them. She vaulted over some of the dead bodies before landing on the dining table and ran across it before jumping off. Eamon wrapped his arms around Isolde and Connor before saying a silent prayer to the Maker. He squeezed his eyes shut just as the Alpha raised his large, blood stained axe. Then the sound of metal crunching metal sounded through his ears. He looked up to see that Bridget had jumped onto the back of the Alpha. She quickly wrapped her legs around the Darkspawn and pulled him backwards. She landed hard against the stone, but she ignored the pain as she gripped her sword and thrust it into the Alpha's chest. Bridget pulled her blade out, splattering the tainted blood across the walls and floor. She stood slowly and turned. She looked down at Eamon and held out her hand to him. He took it, shocked still from the events that had just occurred.

"Are you injured?" Bridget asked as she pulled him to his feet.

Eamon shook his head. Bridget nodded. She turned to see that the other Darkspawn had already been taken care of, and that all the eyes in the room were on her.

"Come on, we've got to check on the village!" she shouted before running out of the hall and out the main entrance.

Alistair immediately followed, as did the rest of her friends. Teagan ran up to Eamon and handed him his sword before following the rest of the guards as well. Eamon turned to Isolde.

"See if everyone here is alright, I'll be back shortly." He said in a quiet voice.

Bridget ran into the village as fast as her legs would take her. Thankfully, there were only a handful of Darkspawn actually in the village itself along with an ogre. Knowing that it was the main threat, Bridget engaged the large beast head on. She had to be extra careful since she was only partly protected, so she dodged the ogre's attacks gracefully, managing to just be out of the reach of his sharp claws. Once he was defeated, it was over. Bridget took a deep breath as she turned to see Morrigan and Wynne manipulating the water in the nearby lake to douse the flames on the houses and shops. Thankfully, since the celebrations were taking part in the main square of the village, most of everyone was able to get to the Chantry safely. The villagers emerged, startled and scared. Wynne and Morrigan took to healing those that were injured while some of the other guards went back to the castle. Bridget swept her eyes over those who were injured and remembered a few faces. Murdock the mayor was among those who had been hurt, so was Owen the blacksmith. She took a deep breath and turned. Bridget walked over to Alistair, Teagan, Riordan, and Eamon.

"Eamon, I need three messenger Hawkes immediately. I need to let the others know that we cannot wait until First Day. We need to set out for Denerim as quickly as we can. Since there are so many wounded, we will remain here for the night so Wynne and Morrigan can help them. But tomorrow, we march. Where can I find the messenger Hawkes?"

Eamon cleared his throat before replying,

"The castle keep, I have a man stationed there, he can help you."

Bridget nodded.

"I warned them in my letters to be on their toes and expect another message from me. As soon as the bird arrives, they will be ready to march." She stated.

With that, Bridget hurried back up the hill and towards the castle. Alistair followed after her. Eamon stared after them a moment before turning his gaze on the smoking buildings of his village. He then looked out at his villagers. Most of them were huddled with their families, a few of the young children were crying, and the Chantry sisters sang out a prayer to the Maker for one villager who had not survived.

Teagan sighed.

"To think…if Bridget had not gotten to you when she did…those Chantry sisters would be praying for you right now…"

He squeezed his brother's shoulder before turning and heading back towards the castle. Eamon swallowed and looked at his feet. If it weren't for Bridget…he, Isolde, and Connor would be dead…more victims to the Blight. Eamon turned and slowly made his way back to the castle as well. Bridget saved his life, his family's lives, and his village…

By the time Eamon made it back to the castle, most of everyone had turned in for the night. With the knowledge that they would be marching back to Denerim once again in the morning, no one wanted to waste any chance of sleep. If they left early in the morning…they had a chance of reaching Denerim before the horde did. There they could fortify the walls and prepare for battle…

Eamon was at the top of the staircase and about to turn down the hall, but stopped when he heard voices. He peered over the side of the wall to see Alistair standing outside of Bridget's room.

"I…I thought maybe we could…finish what we started, earlier." He said softly.

Bridget shook her head.

"No, we can't, Alistair. We both gave into temptation before…we cannot allow ourselves to do that again. You need all the energy you can get for tomorrow's march, and so do I."

Alistair looked down at his feet and nodded.

"You're right…goodnight, Bridget."

Bridget looked up at him and gave him a light kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight, Alistair."

Eamon watched as Bridget closed the door. Alistair sighed and placed his hands over his eyes.

"Why did I ever listen to him?" he asked softly before walking off down the hall and to his own room. Eamon rounded the corner then and headed towards his room. Sometime later, when everyone else was sleeping, Eamon remained awake, pensive and staring into his fire place in his office. The door creaked open and Isolde stepped inside, gently closing it behind her. She walked up to the side of Eamon's chair and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What is wrong, my husband?" she asked softly.

Eamon's furrowed brow deepened as he ran his hand down his beard.

"I…I think I may have made a mistake." He whispered.

Isolde raised her eyebrows.

"About what?"

Eamon was quiet for a moment before he replied,

"Letting Alistair rule on his own…"

Isolde thought over her response for a moment before she knelt beside Eamon's chair and took his hands in hers.

"My dear…you have always known that I...that I am not one of Alistair's admirers. He is not fit to rule a country by himself…he needs a strong woman by his side…and you know as well as I that his future bride was not among those giggling girls throwing themselves at his feet today."

A long silence stretched between them before Eamon confessed,

"I realize that now."

Isolde smiled. Eamon sighed.

"I must find some way to apologize for my serious offense…however; I think I will wait to tell them, after the Blight. After all, no one is guaranteed to survive. If all of us make it out in the end, however…I will admit my mistake and let them know that they are free to marry each other. After all Bridget has done for me, for us…for Redcliffe…how could I deny her happiness?"

Isolde nodded.

"It is the right thing to do, my husband. I know I certainly feel better about Alistair becoming king now that he will have such a strong woman beside him."

Eamon stood.

"Let us pray to the Maker that we all make it out alive, then." He stated.

Unfortunately…Eamon did not know why Grey Wardens were needed to end the Blight…why a Grey Warden had to kill the Arch Demon. Bridget and Alistair did not know this either…but they would find out soon.

_Very_ soon.

**A/N: **_Oh my lovelies, I couldn't bear leaving you with that cliff hanger from the last chapter, so I worked five hours straight on this baby. I hope you are all happy with this chapter! Now I have final exams coming up in a few weeks so I'm going to have to crack down on my studying. I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter up, but I'll see what I can do! Anyways, thank you again for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites/alerts! I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as I can! _


	58. Chapter 57: The Final March

Chapter 57

The Final March

The next morning, the castle stirred way before the sun ever rose from it's slumber. Bridget sat in front of her mirror again and added the last pin to her hair. She stared at her tired reflection and sighed. Her mind gave her no rest the night before as her thoughts swam over the Darkspawn, Eamon nearly being killed…and, of course that brief window of time she had with Alistair. Bridget closed her eyes as she remembered the feel of his calloused hands over her soft skin. She knew it was a good thing that they were interrupted, however, because things would only be even more difficult later if they had lain together…but Maker if Bridget didn't want it to happen. She shook her head, as if thinking it would clear at least _that_ particular thought from her mind and stood. She whistled for Zeus and he trotted up beside her. Bridget swung her pack over her shoulder after stuffing her journal inside it and exited the room, gently closing the door behind her. She made her way down the stairs and stopped once she made it to the bottom to sweep her eyes over everyone in the hall. A handful of Eamon's men were still getting their things ready, sharpening their swords, packing their knapsacks. Bridget's eyes caught Alistair's across the room…but she quickly blinked and looked away, for she knew if she stared for too long she would become lost in those honey colored orbs. Bridget quickly turned her attention to Teagan who had come rushing towards her.

"All of the armies have responded to your letters, my lady. They are preparing to march today as well." He stated.

Bridget breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, with any luck, they would reach Denerim before the Darkspawn.

"That is very good news." She replied, smiling. Although she knew better than to get her hopes _too_ high, she would at least carry some with her. Teagan nodded and then looked around before dropping his voice.

"I know we are pressed for time, my lady…but if you could spare me a moment…may I speak to you in private?"

Bridget looked at Teagan quizzically for a moment before nodding and following him outside towards the balcony. Once there, Teagan turned to her and then looked at his feet.

"I…I just wanted to apologize for any offense I may have caused you last night, my lady. I should not have tried to kiss you…nor should I have looked at you so…oddly when you confessed still having feelings for Alistair. Love is a very strong emotion…I should not have expected you to be over him so quickly."

Bridget smiled and placed her hand on Teagan's shoulder. He looked up at her and relaxed a bit at her smile.

"There was no need to apologize, Teagan. You did nothing wrong. I carry no ill feelings towards you at all."

Teagan smiled.

"That is good to know, my lady."

They were quiet for a minute, but Teagan looked like he wanted to say something else, so Bridget tilted her head to the side.

"Is there something else you wish to discuss with me?" she asked softly.

Teagan looked into her eyes for a moment before he replied,

"If…when this is all over…and you've had some time to heal from Alistair…would you consider entering a courtship with me?" he asked just barely above a whisper.

Bridget looked at Teagan and was quiet for a few minutes.

"Teagan…you are assuming that both of us will survive this coming battle…and that is not a very wise thing to do in a time of war. Besides you have heard Eamon. I cannot bear children and you too would need an heir. And don't even tell me you would be keen on the idea of asking for the mages to help in that matter, because you may say it, but I do not believe you would mean it…not after what you went through with Connor."

Teagan opened his mouth to retort…but after Bridget's last sentence, closed it quickly. Maker…she was right. After being subjected to the horrors he and the rest of the village endured when Connor was possessed…how could he trust a mage, being always open and vulnerable to demons, with the delicate matter of pregnancy?

When he didn't respond, Bridget nodded.

"That's what I thought…but I place no blame on you, Teagan. You saw what they are capable of if a demon has them in it's snares…If I must I will become an old maid and never marry. After all…it is…difficult finding a man who does not want or need an heir. Or perhaps I will die in the coming battle…it is not for us to decide on this day." She stated.

Teagan drew his brows together and looked at Bridget warily, as did Alistair who was concealed again in the curtain (this time making sure his feet were not visible).

"What are you saying…my lady?" Teagan asked slowly.

Bridget looked at him and set her jaw.

"If I am to die in battle…then I will accept that. After all…I would be reunited with my family again…and I think that I would enjoy that much more than having to witness Alistair marry another. I am tired, Teagan. I'm tired of having to be strong and keep up a brave front when inside all I'm doing is screaming and wishing that I had perished with my parents. If I had, I would not have known the pain it is to lose someone that I love...who is still alive, if you understand my meaning."

Before Teagan could say anything, Bridget blinked back the tears that had welled up in her eyes and cleared her throat.

"We need to return to the task at hand." She stated and hurried back into the main hall.

Once she was well away from the curtain, Alistair revealed himself and stared after her longingly. He never thought he would hear her say she would rather die than see him with someone else…but realized that if their positions were switched, he would probably feel the same. Alistair closed his eyes as he remembered the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers the night before. He had been without her touch for so long, he had almost forgotten how soft and baby-like her skin actually was. Alistair smiled to himself as he remembered her laughter, her kisses, and those wicked fingers dancing down his chest and towards the ties to his breeches, only to cease there because of the Darkspawn. Alistair sighed as he rested his back against the nearby wall and covered his eyes. If those damnable creatures hadn't shown up…oh if only they hadn't shown up…

"You look a little troubled my friend, everything well?"

Alistair removed his hand from his face to see Zevran standing next to him.

"Just peachy." He snapped.

Zevran looked affronted.

"Such hostility! I would not have expected this from a man who spent the night in the arms of the woman he loved. So tell me, how was the makeup sex? Did Bridget ride you like the bucking bull you are? Or did you grip her hips and thrust into her as if you would never get to again?"

Before Alistair could say anything, Zevran raised his eyebrows and a devilish grin spread across his face. He dropped his voice low and said,

"Or perhaps…oh my dear friend, did you receive the ahem…'lamppost treatment' if you will?"

Alistair who, at this point, was completely mortified and at least twenty shades of red, hissed,

"Andraste's flaming sword, Zevran! Nothing…and I repeat _nothing_ happened. We came close, but heard the commotion downstairs and stopped before anything that you described ever occurred."

Zevran looked up at Alistair sympathetically. He patted him on the arm.

"Oh my dear friend…no wonder you are wound as tight as a coil. Well, perhaps whilst we are traveling you could sneak into Bridget's tent while everyone is sleeping and ravish her then." He suggested.

Alistair frowned.

"That's not going to happen, Zevran. Bridget made it quite clear that we shouldn't…"

He dropped his voice before continuing,

"That we shouldn't have sex anymore…that it would only complicate matters, and it would be more difficult if, say we do survive the Blight, for us to move on from each other."

Zevran looked up at Alistair and truly felt sorry for him, but then remembered that it _was _his own fault since he didn't agree to her proposal in the first place. He took the opportunity to remind him of that now.

"You know my friend; if you had a backbone to begin with…you wouldn't find yourself in this position now." He stated.

Alistair sighed and covered his face with his hands.

"Maker don't I know it." He whispered as his eyes landed on Bridget who was standing across the room.

Zevran drew his brows together as he stared up at Alistair. He crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side.

"You know Alistair…there are ways to still drive her mad without actually making love to her."

Alistair parted his fingers and looked at Zevran quizzically.

"What do you mean?" he asked softly.

Zevran grinned.

"Take for example, a simple brushing of hands. It is a very simple touch…yet it will leave her skin tingling for more. You told me once that she swayed her hips on purpose just to drive you mad, did you not? Why not become the tease this time? Entice our Warden with the bait…and like the little kitten that she is…she will _pounce_."

Alistair shook his head.

"But Bridget said,"

Zevran cut him off.

"Alistair…do you truly wish to spend the eve of battle alone? You must trust me on this if you wish to make passionate love to our Warden one last time."

Alistair opened his mouth to reply, but shut it quickly. Zevran made a very good point. He would do anything to have Bridget one last time before they threw themselves into the chaos of the impending battle. Alistair nodded and looked at Zevran.

"Alright…what should I do?" he asked.

Zevran grinned seductively.

"Trust me my friend, with my advice; you will have her beneath you in no time, despite her strong resolve…She wants you, Alistair. I can see it in her eyes…"

Bridget turned away from Leliana and witnessed Zevran and Alistair speaking in what appeared to be hushed tones across the room. She wondered briefly what they were discussing before Bridget caught Eamon descending the staircase with Isolde out of the corner of her eye. She turned her attention to him and noticed he was saying something to Isolde as he strapped on his gauntlet, but appeared to stop mid-sentence when his eyes locked with Bridget's. He nodded towards her. Bridget furrowed her brow slightly before nodding back. She was a bit surprised when he approached her a few moments later.

"We are almost ready here. The other men in the village are already lined up outside." He stated.

Bridget nodded. Eamon looked at her a moment before clearing his throat and saying,

"Thank you for saving mine and my family's life…again. If you had not…well…"

Bridget looked at him.

"It was no trouble, Eamon." She stated.

Eamon looked into her eyes. He wasn't surprised to see the disdain for himself inside them; after all…he had caused her so much grief. It would take a lot to earn her forgiveness…but Eamon vowed he would do anything to repair the damage that he had done…providing they all survived the Blight.

Soon enough the rest of Eamon's men were ready and headed outside with Eamon and Isolde. Bridget turned to follow them and caught Alistair's gaze again. He stared back at her…and she realized that his eyes were reflecting the longing she knew were in hers. With a heavy sigh, Bridget turned her gaze away and pulled up her hood. She walked out into the chilly morning air and mounted her horse that was towards the front of the group. She looked over the men and counted them. Fifty. That was a solid number. Bridget wondered briefly how many of those fifty would remain after the final attack. She decided to clear her mind of that thought for now and turned her attention to Eamon who was bidding Isolde farewell. A faint smile formed on her lips as she watched the two share one final kiss before Eamon mounted his horse. He trotted up next to her and drew his brows together.

"How shall we ride, Bridget?"

Bridget looked at him.

"We must go until we simply cannot go any further. We have no time to piddle about." She stated.

Eamon nodded.

"I couldn't agree more."

He trotted ahead and turned to look over his men.

"We ride until our horses threaten to fall. There is no time to waste!" he shouted.

Eamon thrashed his reins and galloped out of the castle gates. Bridget and her friends followed as Eamon's men marched behind them. Bridget gripped her horse's reins tight as she prayed to the Maker that they could make it to Denerim before the Darkspawn.

The day passed by slowly, but thankfully the weather was still and there were no snowstorms that slowed their progress. Throughout the day, Bridget felt Alistair's gaze on her…and could never resist the urge to look back at him. She was only torturing herself by doing so…but she just couldn't help it. The hours dwindled and soon enough the sun went to sleep again as the moon took its place. Bridget blinked several times to try and keep her eyes open…but she kept dozing off here and there, slumped over slightly. Alistair trotted up next to her so when she did finally fall asleep; she could lean up against his shoulder, sort of. Not long after that the army was forced to make camp as nearly everyone was on their last strings of energy. Despite how exhausted everyone was, however, they were all alert in case any Darkspawn ambushed them. Luckily, no such ambush happened, and the next day they were able to set off once again.

The entire journey back to Denerim took about three days since they rode so fast and didn't stop unless it was necessary. Bridget couldn't remember how many times she prayed to the Maker along the journey, and when she saw Denerim's gates in the distance, she nearly sobbed with relief.

They had made it before the Darkspawn!

The Dalish elves greeted them at the gates as they had arrived before anyone else since they were in the closest proximity towards the city. Lanaya stated that she received a letter from the dwarven forces saying that they would most likely arrive sometime later that day. Bridget smiled, grateful of how things had turned out as both armies headed into Denerim and towards Eamon's estate. Bridget sighed as she looked up at the large home. Of all places, she certainly didn't want to be back _here_ again…but once again pushed those thoughts from her mind as she focused on the task at hand. Since the dwarves had not yet arrived, Bridget decided to head up to her room to rest for a bit. She removed her armor and it clanged to the floor as she crawled into the bed. Maker…she was exhausted. Her bottom was sore from all that riding and she just ached all over. For the first time in a very, very long while, she was able to fall asleep within a matter of minutes.

Bridget slowly opened her eyes as she felt someone nudging her shoulder. She turned to see Alistair standing at the side of her bed. Bridget sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"What is it, Alistair?" she asked groggily.

He shook his head.

"The dwarves are here now and Eamon, Teagan, and Riordan are deliberating on our battle plan for tomorrow. They will probably be done soon, so I just wanted to let you know."

They were both quiet for a long while before Bridget motioned to the end of the bed.

"You can sit, Alistair." She whispered.

He looked at her and then sat on the edge of the bed. Bridget moved to sit next to him.

"Can I ask you something?" he said softly.

Bridget looked at him and nodded. Alistair sighed.

"I…I overheard you tell Teagan back at Redcliffe that you wished you had died with your parents. Is that true?"

Bridget raised her eyebrows before she turned her head and looked into her lap.

"Listening in again, were you?" she asked.

Alistair swallowed.

"I…yes." He replied.

Bridget was quiet for a moment before she answered his question.

"Sometimes I do wish that I had died with them as it would have saved me so much heartache now but…then I remember that if I had…I would not know the love that I have for my friends…or for you." She whispered.

Alistair turned his eyes to her to find her still staring into her lap. He eyed her hand sitting next to him and slowly reached for it. Their hands brushed slightly against each other before Alistair rested his hand atop hers. Bridget turned to look at him then, and he noticed her eyes were shining with tears.

"I wish we could've been like the swallows." She stated softly.

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?"

Bridget sniffled slightly before she gave him a small smile.

"It's a metaphor my father used to say. He always compared his love to my mother's like that of a pair of swallows. Those birds mate for life meaning that they remain with each other until the other dies. And when one of them dies…the other will go mad with grief until death comes to find them."

Alistair ran his thumb over the back of her hand. Bridget closed her eyes.

"If things were different, Alistair, I would have been with you until the day I died."

"And I you." He replied.

Bridget drew her brows together and sighed as she turned her head to the side, blocking Alistair's view of her face.

"I am conflicted. I want you so badly, but my conscious keeps telling me I will regret it later…because after tomorrow you will be king and you must do your duty…"

Alistair turned Bridget so she would face him. He cupped her face in his hands and shook his head.

"I am not king yet." He whispered.

The corners of Bridget's mouth twitched up into a smile, yet it was still a sad smile.

"No, you are not king yet." She repeated.

They both leaned forward and claimed each other's mouth in a slow kiss. Bridget wrapped her arms around Alistair's neck as she opened her mouth wider for his tongue. She hummed in the back of her throat when his tongue stroked hers. They slowly began to pull apart, but Alistair's lips returned to her skin, this time at her ear. He ran his tongue along the outer shell before he made it to her earlobe and sucked on it there. Bridget smiled and blushed slightly. Her ears were always sensitive, and Alistair wasn't being merciful with that knowledge. She ran her fingers through his hair as Alistair left her ear and trailed his kisses down her neck.

Of course before they got too lost in each other, a knock sounded at the door stating that Eamon and the others had formed the plan of attack and wished to go over it with everyone else. Alistair sighed as he pulled away from Bridget, afraid that she would turn him away again later, but Bridget looked up at him and bumped her nose up against his.

"There has been so much sadness lately…I believe we both deserve to be happy one final time. We will finish this later." She whispered before kissing him softly.

Alistair smiled and nodded, realizing he didn't even have to resort to the ridiculous tactics Zevran had described back at Redcliffe. The two left the room and walked down the hall together. Unknown to Alistair and Bridget, Morrigan had been listening in on their conversation. The witch actually managed to smile in their wake. Although neither of them knew it now…they would owe a great deal to the mage later on. Morrigan turned and stalked back off to her room to add the final touches to a potion she was brewing…

Bridget and Alistair walked into the dining room where the rest of her friends save for Morrigan and the leaders of the armies were gathered. They took the remaining two seats next to each other and waited for Eamon to come into the room. Alistair stole a glance at Bridget and nonchalantly rested his hand on her knee beneath the table. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled slightly.

"You are impossible." She whispered.

Eamon, Teagan, and Riordan entered the room then and with them carried a map of Denerim. Eamon spread it out across the table and placed paperweights in the four corners to keep the map from curling up. Eamon looked up at everyone and cleared his throat.

"After careful deliberation with both Teagan and Riordan, I believe we have formed a solid plan of attack. Obviously the Darkspawn will enter from the city gates. It is possible, however, that they may find other entries into the city as well. The weakened walls that they could destroy are the walls alongside the alienage. From there, depending on their forces, they could gain entry into the upper part of the city and Fort Drakon. Some could also back track and end up in the market place outside."

Riordan nodded.

"I believe that the Arch Demon will locate the tallest tower, which we all know is Fort Drakon, and wreak havoc on the city below because he will have such a high vantage point. Now, in past Blights the Arch Demon always had two very high ranking and powerful Darkspawn, often referred to as his 'generals' somewhere in the battle. Our goal is to first take out those generals, as losing them will greatly weaken the protection the Darkspawn can give their master." He explained.

Teagan looked at everyone in the room before continuing.

"We must split up the armies if we hope to have any chance of winning this battle. What we will do is send one army to each zone that the Darkspawn will probably get to which means one army in the market place, one army in the alienage, and one army at Fort Drakon. I believe the elves should be placed on the highest rooftops, that way they can dispatch as many Darkspawn from a distance as they can. Then and only then once the army of them have entered the city will they join the fight below."

Eamon nodded.

"We must decide which armies to send where, however. Since we did not recruit these armies, we will leave that task up to you, Bridget."

Bridget furrowed her brow and stood as she thought over where to best place the armies. After a moment she nodded her head and announced,

"Eamon's men will fight in the market place. The dwarves will go to the Alienage, and the mages and other elves will be stationed at Fort Drakon. However, I believe once it is determined that no Darkspawn will return to those areas, everyone should move to Fort Drakon. That is where the Arch Demon is…and we will need all of your help to take down that monstrosity."

Riordan nodded.

"Yes…so long as a Grey Warden performs the killing blow." He stated.

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"Why must a Warden deliver the final blow?" he asked slowly.

Riordan looked at him and then at Bridget before his eyes widened.

"I have forgotten that you are only a junior member and Bridget a new recruit…no one could have possibly told you…" he said under his breath.

Bridget and Alistair looked at each other nervously.

"Tell them what, Riordan?" Eamon asked.

Riordan cleared his throat and placed his hands behind his back.

"Before the night is over, I need to see both of you privately. There is something you must know before tomorrow." He stated.

With that Riordan turned and left the room. Eamon stared after him a moment before turning his attention back to the others.

"You should probably speak with him sooner rather than later." He suggested.

Bridget nodded and stood along with Alistair. They exited the room quickly and walked over towards the stairs.

"What do you think he wants to tell us?' Alistair asked.

Bridget shook her head, her nerves winding themselves into a tight knot.

"Nothing good, I'm sure." She stated.

They both climbed the staircase and made their way to Riordan's room. Bridget looked at Alistair nervously as she knocked on the door. Riordan opened it and stepped aside to let them enter.

"I apologize if I was foreboding back there…but you must understand that I do not bring good news."

Bridget slipped her hand into Alistair's without even realizing it. He squeezed her hand comfortingly. Riordan closed the door and walked over towards them. He drew his brows together and sighed.

"I assumed that you already knew this...but I forgot that you are both new members. I said before that a Grey Warden must be the one to kill the Arch Demon. Do either of you know why?" he asked.

Bridget looked at Riordan and replied,

"Does it have something to do with the Taint in us?"

Riordan nodded slowly.

"Yes. You see, if anyone other than a Grey Warden kills the Arch Demon, its essence will just move to a new host, therefore the Blight would continue. However, if a Grey Warden delivers the final blow, because we already carry the Taint in our blood, the Arch Demon's essence flows into whoever kills it. Therefore…that Grey Warden will absorb its essence…meaning that…"

"…The Grey Warden that kills the Arch Demon…dies." Alistair whispered.

Bridget's eyes widened as her stomach did a flop.

Riordan nodded grimly.

"Precisely. It is tradition that the oldest Grey Warden sacrifice themself. Because I am oldest and my time is short anyway, I will provide the killing blow. You two should be fine so long as I survive…and I am pretty fit for my age so I do not believe you will have anything to worry about." He added that last sentence at the end in an attempt to cheer them up…but unfortunately it didn't seem to work.

Riordan sighed.

"That is all I had to say. You two should try and get some sleep." He stated.

Bridget slowly moved towards the door, her hand shaking slightly. She told Teagan before that she could possibly die in the coming battle…but in the days that followed, she tried not to think of that possibility. Now however, knowing that Riordan could very easily be killed before he got to the Arch Demon, Bridget was _very _aware of her mortality. If Riordan fell…the task of killing the Arch Demon would fall to her because she couldn't let Alistair sacrifice himself…not when he was about to be king! Not when an entire nation needed him!

Bridget turned to Alistair once they were back in the hall and tried to make sure he didn't notice her distress.

"Give me a few hours to myself, Alistair. I will come to you before the night is over with." She stated.

Before Alistair could say anything, Bridget briskly turned and headed back towards her room. Once there, she shut her door and rested her back against it before sliding down to the floor. Zeus hurried over to her and whimpered. He always hated seeing her upset. Bridget took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves…but she was too distraught. She knew she just _knew_ with her luck Riordan would die before he killed the Arch Demon…

Bridget sighed as she drew her knees up to her chest. She had gone through so much…seen so many terrible things and none of that scared her…but the thought of killing the Arch Demon…of _dying_ with it…

Bridget was _scared_. Zeus nudged her and whimpered again. She turned to him as a few tears fell from her eyes and scratched his ears.

"You know what boy? Let's go and play fetch. I mean it this time."

_xXx_

Alistair sat in the dining hall again with a cup of ale in his hand. Although he had full faith in Riordan…he was still wary of the impending battle. Things had always gone wrong for him and Bridget…the odds seemed to never be in their favor. If Riordan died there was no question, Alistair was going to kill the Arch Demon whether Bridget liked it or not. There was no way he would allow her to sacrifice herself…absolutely no way. Alistair lifted his head as he heard the door open and turned, hoping it was Bridget, but discovered it was Morrigan who entered the room. Alistair frowned and turned back around in his seat.

"Well hello to you too, Alistair." She stated.

Alistair sighed.

"What do you want, Morrigan? You've been the only person out of our group who hasn't voiced their opinion of my actions at the Landsmeet. Have you come to do that now?" he asked, really wishing she would go away.

Morrigan shook her head and walked over towards the nearby counter.

"No…I have come to speak with you, actually." She replied.

While she knew his gaze was adverted, Morrigan poured the potion she had been working on into what remained of the ale in the pitcher, knowing that Alistair would probably refill his glass.

"About what? You never want to speak with me."

Morrigan turned and sat down across from him.

"That is because I never had a matter of such great importance to speak of before."

Alistair furrowed his brow and stood. He walked over towards the pitcher of ale and poured the last bit into his goblet.

"Shouldn't you be talking to Bridget about this? She's our leader, after all."

Morrigan pursed her lips together and shook her head.

"I cannot speak to her about this because the nature of it will greatly upset her."

Alistair looked over his shoulder at her with raised eyebrows.

"What do you mean? Is it her brother? Do you know what happened to him?"

Morrigan sighed and shook her head.

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response, Alistair as it is a completely ludicrous question. How could I know anything about her brother when I have been traveling with you two since day one?"

Alistair retook his seat and looked at her.

"Well what is it then?" he asked as he took a sip of ale.

Morrigan folded her hands on the table and became even more serious than usual.

"I know what happens when a Grey Warden slays the Arch Demon…and I can provide you with a scapegoat, if you will. I have something that can ensure both yours and Bridget's survival if one of you has to kill the Arch Demon in place of Riordan."

Alistair raised his eyebrows. For once he was actually grateful that Morrigan was a member of their party.

"What is it that you have? A potion we can drink or something?"

Morrigan shook her head.

"No. You must lie with me this evening. If you do that, both you and Bridget will survive."

Alistair looked at Morrigan for a moment before he burst into laughter. Morrigan remained quiet as he continued to chuckle.

"Okay…okay…good joke I have to admit. Now what's the real thing?" he asked.

Morrigan blinked.

"What I just said. You have to lie with me this evening."

Alistair gaped at her for a long moment.

"I…I don't understand. Why are you willing to do this…you hate me with a burning passion…you,"

Morrigan looked at him and shook her head.

"I do not offer this way out for _you_, Alistair. I am offering you this opportunity to save _my_ friend…the woman _you_ love. If you love her as much as you say, then you will do this…for her." She stated.

Alistair drew his brows together and shuddered slightly.

"So all I have to do is…sleep with you? That's it? That'll ensure our survival?" he asked.

Morrigan nodded.

"Yes but…I have not said all."

Alistair darted his eyes up to her.

"Oh no there's more? Maker…what else could there be?"

Morrigan sighed.

"This next part is the reason why I did not tell Bridget of this plan. You will not like it either…but in order to ensure that Bridget will survive tomorrow, because you know as well as I that Riordan will fall and something will prevent you from getting to the Arch Demon before she does…you have to go through with this."

Alistair took another gulp of ale, as an odd feeling entered his stomach.

"By lying with me tonight, I will conceive a child. This child will absorb the essence that the Arch Demon releases when it dies. Instead of that essence flowing into Bridget, the child will take it instead."

Alistair's jaw dropped. He stood and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Are you out of your _mind_? If I can't have a child with Bridget, why the hell would I have a child with you?" he shouted.

Morrigan stood and gave him an icy glare.

"This is the very reason I did not tell Bridget. Knowing that I bear your child would devastate her…but she does not have to know that this happened…and you both can live and you can apologize for being the idiot that you are and marry her despite what everyone else says."

Alistair shook his head.

"No. I'm not doing it. I have full confidence that Riordan will kill the Arch Demon. If he does not, then I will do it. Bridget will get nowhere near that monster. I am not going to father a bastard. Not when I know the pain of not knowing who my father was...I'm not going to make another child endure that. Maker knows what you would even do with a child in the first place."

Morrigan banged her fist against the table.

"Alistair if you die tomorrow than these past weeks will have been for naught! Bridget's pain and suffering of losing you will have been for nothing, when instead you could have been happy the entire time." She stated.

Alistair downed the rest of his ale and clenched his jaw.

"You mock what our love was. I'm not going to be expressing my love for her by sleeping with another woman…and then conceiving a child! I am already forced with the knowledge that I must marry someone else already…and then to say that you would bear my child knowing that Bridget cannot…that's low even for you, Morrigan."

Alistair turned and stalked towards the side door, heading into the adjoining sitting room. Morrigan shook her head.

"When you hold her lifeless body in your arms tomorrow, you would have wished you listened to me."

Alistair flared his nostrils and resisted the urge to shout at her before he opened the door and walked out of the room. When he was gone, Morrigan sighed and checked his goblet, smiling at the empty glass. She walked out of the room and blended in with the shadows as she saw Bridget being dragged by Leliana and Zevran towards the front door and Zeus bouncing at their feet.

"Come on my Warden, just a few drinks at the Gnawed Noble and then we'll leave you alone for the night." Zevran pleaded.

Bridget chuckled.

"Alright one drink...but then I _have _to play fetch with Zeus for a while." She stated.

Leliana smiled.

"Not to worry, we'll only keep you for an hour or so then you can play with your pup and then you can get back to Alistair!"

Morrigan watched them leave as she emerged from the shadows.

"Don't worry my friend; I will save your life yet." She vowed.

_xXx_

Alistair paced back and forth in his room as he ran his hand through his hair. The gall of that woman…honestly he had to admit, Morrigan certainly wasn't afraid of anything that was for sure. But to suggest that he father her child…Alistair shook his head. He couldn't even think of the consequences that would produce. He sat on the edge of his bed and sighed. Alistair admitted that he was feeling a little…strange. He blinked and realized his vision was just ever so fuzzy. Alistair thought back…he only had two cups of ale…didn't he? Come to think of it…he couldn't really remember how many cups he had. A knock at the door alerted him and he made his way towards it. Alistair opened the door to find Bridget on the other side. She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back at her…but furrowed his brow. Her eyes…they looked _yellow_…a golden color. Alistair blinked and shook his head. Upon reopening his eyes he was staring into her usual, icy blue orbs…but he could've sworn just a moment ago that…

His thoughts left him when she kissed him. Alistair furrowed his brow…this kiss…it wasn't like their normal kisses…but maybe it was and he was just too drunk to tell. He stepped backwards and fell across the bed and watched as she looked at him before she picked up the nearby candle holder and blew out the candle…

_xXx_

Bridget returned to Eamon's estate close to midnight. She shook her head and sighed. Leliana and Zevran, though she loved them both dearly, were impossible to get away from sometimes…and poor Zeus never wanted to stop playing fetch. She made her way up to her room and closed the door behind her before she pulled off her armor and clothes and slipped into her night shift. She had not forgotten her promise to Alistair, and hoped that she hadn't kept him waiting too long. Bridget decided to just leave her hair up for now and left her room, hurrying down the hallway to Alistair's. The candles along the hall had already been blown out, so Bridget had to touch the wall to guide her. Once she was pretty sure she stood outside of Alistair's room, she gently knocked on the door. There was no reply. Bridget knocked again, a bit louder…but still received no reply. She opened the door herself and squinted in the darkness. At first she didn't think Alistair was in there until she heard a loud snore that sounded like it had the force of a gale wind behind it. She couldn't help but smile as she closed the door and walked over towards him. Bridget climbed up onto the bed and nudged him a few times before she finally saw his eyes flutter open.

"Hmmm…so…decided to stay with me after all?" he asked groggily.

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"What are you talking about? I just got here." She stated.

Alistair stilled next to her. Bridget swiped a box of matches from the end table and lit the nearby candle to better look at him. She turned back to Alistair to find him sitting up and peeking underneath the covers.

"Is everything…okay?" she asked slowly.

Alistair dropped the sheets and looked at her.

"I guess it was just a dream…oh thank the Maker it was just a dream."

Bridget drew her brows together. Alistair looked at her and shook his head.

"I dreamt that you came to me and we made love…but I don't think it was actually _you_ because things were so different. Your hands they…they were so…_cold_…and your eyes had a sort of malicious look to them…" he stopped and rubbed his eyes and the back of his neck as he shuddered slightly.

Bridget took his face into her hands and stared into his eyes.

"What do you see in my eyes now?" she asked.

Alistair drew his brows together as he placed his hands atop hers.

"Love…and sadness." He whispered.

Bridget swallowed the lump in her throat.

"In your eyes I see the same." She replied softly.

Bridget leaned forward and kissed Alistair deeply. She pulled back after a moment and smiled at him.

"Tonight let there be no sadness. Nothing but love and passion." She whispered.

Alistair leaned forward and kissed her again. He closed his eyes as he took her breath into his mouth. He lost himself at the feel of her lips against his. They were so smooth…so soft. Alistair took her bottom lip in his mouth and sucked on it before he pulled away slowly. Bridget smiled at him as she turned her back to him and sat on her knees.

"Care to take my hair down for me?" she asked.

Alistair grinned and nodded as he sat behind her. He slowly began to take the pins out of her hair, careful to do it slowly so that none of her hair would pull. Once all of the pins were piled nicely on the bedside table, Alistair turned back to Bridget and brushed her slightly curled tresses away from her neck to hang over her shoulder. They could see their reflections in the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. Alistair leaned close to her and took a deep breath of her scent, sighing at the lavender and cinnamon smell that filled his nostrils. When he breathed out, his breath must've tickled Bridget's neck as he saw her smile. Alistair smiled as well as he pressed his lips to her ear and trailed them down to her lobe again and took it into his mouth.

Bridget closed her eyes and smiled as a quiet chuckle left her lips. Alistair remembered he had hands then and moved them towards her front. He held her breasts in his hands for a moment before he slowly slid them down her sides and hips, leaving her skin burning for his touch in their wake. Even though her shift was thin, Bridget wanted skin to skin contact…but realized Alistair was probably going to hold that off for a while. Alistair left her ear and trailed his mouth down her neck leaving soft, warm kisses against her delicate skin. As he did that, he slid his hands back up her sides and towards her breasts again. Once there, he moved his thumbs over her mounds which were now straining against the fabric of her shift. Bridget sucked in her breath and pressed her back against his chest. She felt the bed shift as Alistair moved to sit in front of her. He let his eyes sweep over her for a moment, taking in the gleam of her hair, her half lidded eyes, flushed face and plump lips.

"Maker I love you, Bridget." He said, his voice a little husky.

Bridget smiled before she pushed him backwards and crawled atop him. He grinned as she settled herself atop him and had to chew the inside of his cheek to keep from calling out when she rolled her hips towards him. Bridget leaned over him and her hair covered his face like a curtain.

"I love you too, Alistair. Until the end of time itself I will love you."

She lowered her face to his as she kissed him deeply, running her tongue against his lips only for a second before he opened his mouth, allowing her tongue to dance once again with his. Bridget placed her hands on either side of Alistair's head as she broke the kiss and trailed her lips down his chin and across his jawline. Alistair ran his hands up her legs and sighed at the feel of her skin, hot against his hands. He groaned slightly as her lips continued down his neck, sucking and nipping at the flesh there, already having to rely on his discipline. Bridget made her way back up to his lips again and kissed him deeply as her hands moved down his chest slowly. With the tips of her fingers she traced the contours of his muscles and then followed the trail of copper hair that disappeared beneath his breeches. Before Alistair could grab her hand Bridget had already pressed it up against his arousal making him moan.

"Maker, woman! I had wanted to draw this out for as long as I could but you're making that increasingly difficult." He huffed.

Bridget flashed him a sultry smile before bending to his ear and whispering,

"I'm sure we'll have time for another round afterwards."

She flicked his earlobe with her tongue and lightly grazed it with her teeth. Alistair sighed and closed his eyes…but they flew open a moment later when Bridget began to untie the laces to his breeches. Before she knew it, Alistair had turned the tables on her and her head rested against the pillows. She quirked a brow at him as he pinned her arms over her head.

"I'm not going to let you have all the fun." He stated.

Bridget grinned up at him. Alistair stared into her icy blue gaze…and tried not to think of the fact that this would be the last time he could stare into those eyes…with her lying under him, wrapping her legs around his hips. He half lidded his eyes as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly, releasing her wrists so he could prop himself up on his hands. Instead of those wicked fingers going back to his breeches, Bridget wrapped her arms loosely around his neck as she closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly to deepen the kiss. Alistair moved his hand towards the side of her face and caressed it slowly as he broke the kiss and moved his lips down her neck again, this time heading towards her breasts. Without bothering to remove her shift, he continued to draw his lips downward and took her mound into his mouth and sucked on it gently. A shot of desire coursed through him as Bridget made a soft mewling noise. Alistair lowered his hand from her face and enveloped her other breasts with it, moving his thumb over its mound so it would not feel neglected.

Soon enough he switched breasts and moved to her right one, kissing and sucking, this time pulling her shift down so the fabric would not be in the way. Alistair trailed his kissed down further from her breasts as he ran his thumbs along the undersides of them. He made his way down her flat stomach and placed a sweet kiss over her bellybutton. Bridget raised her bottom slightly so Alistair could pull off the rest of her shift, and ended up taking her small clothes with him. He stood and took care of his breeches and his own small clothes before returning to the bed. He laid down on his side next to Bridget and took her in his arms.

"Can I…hold you for a moment?" he asked softly.

Bridget gave him a small smile and nodded. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Alistair ran a hand down from her shoulder, over her breast, down her side and hip. He let his hand linger there and took comfort in her soft skin. He moved a bit closer to her and groaned slightly at the feel of his arousal pressed up against her belly. Alistair gripped her hip as he rolled over her, knowing he couldn't restrain himself anymore. Bridget noticed that his brow had broken out into a sweat. Instead of teasing him like she was going to, she changed her mind and slowly wrapped her legs around his hips, rolling her own up to his. Alistair swallowed and let out a breath as he moved his hips forward and sheathed himself inside her depths. Bridget sucked in a breath and squinted her eyes shut for a moment, not out of pain but because of the intense pleasure. She fluttered her eyes open to find Alistair gazing at her, his eyes full of love. He lowered himself closer to her and shuddered in delight at the feel of her breasts against his chest. His pace was agonizingly slow as he would pull his hips back slightly before pushing them forward again. Their eye contact never broke except when one of them would close their eyes briefly due to the strain of holding themselves back. Their resolves cracked after long, however, and Alistair couldn't take it anymore. He rolled onto his back and gripped Bridget's hips, digging his fingers into the soft, delicate skin.

"Ride me Bridget, please…" he groaned.

Bridget rested her hands on his chest and closed her eyes as she moved her hips over him in quick clockwise motions, pushing them both towards the edge of that metaphorical cliff. His name tumbled from her lips as Alistair cried out in pleasure, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close as she shook from the intensity of her climax. Alistair rolled to the side and slipped out of her as Bridget hooked her leg over his hip. He shook his head as he kissed her passionately, threading his fingers though her hair. When he pulled away he whispered,

"I will never love another as I love you…"

Alistair whipped away the tears that fell from her eyes as Bridget leaned in and kissed him.

"Neither will I…it's impossible." She said softly.

Alistair kissed her deeply and held her to his chest tightly as his own tears fell from his eyes…

They remained in each other's arms…in love's embrace as they both drifted off into a soundless slumber…despite the impending battle in the morning.

A/N: _Sorry this took so long guys, I've had exams all week and my brain is nearly fried. Well you all know what's next, so I'll try and have that chapter up as soon as possible! Thanks again to all of you for reading, reviewing and adding this story to your favs/alerts! _


	59. Chapter 58: The Battle for Fereldan

Chapter 58

The Battle for Fereldan

Bridget opened her eyes slowly the next morning, having to squint in the darkness as the candle had burned out. She knew the time must've been well before sunrise…for the entire room was encompassed in darkness. Bridget took a deep breath, and wondered briefly how many times she would breathe that day before drawing her last breath. She felt Alistair's arm securely holding onto her, as it was draped over her waist. Bridget placed her hand atop his and threaded her fingers through his.

"Is it morning already?" she heard him mumble against her ear.

Bridget nodded.

"Barely…but yes." She replied softly.

She turned to look into his eyes and found herself somewhat comforted by his honey orbs.

Alistair swallowed.

"I guess it's time for us to save the world then…huh?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Bridget nodded. There was an unsaid fact lingering in the air…and that fact was one of them would die this day. Bridget made it her top priority to make it to the Arch Demon before Alistair did…if it came down to that. Although Riordan had assured them both that they should be fine…Bridget didn't have much faith in his confidence. Alistair moved his hand up to the side of Bridget's face, and cupped it.

"I love you, Bridget. I will _always_ love you." He whispered.

Bridget leaned forward and kissed him deeply. She let her eyes flutter close and savored the moment. Although neither of them would say it…this kiss was a kiss goodbye. Bridget moved her mouth over Alistair's slowly and let her tongue slide against his one last time before she pulled back.

"And I love you, Alistair. Always." She replied.

Alistair embraced her tightly and stroked her long hair for a moment before sighing sadly and pulling away. Bridget swallowed and blinked a few times to regain her composure. She sat and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"We need to make preparations."

Alistair nodded and stood as well. They both redressed and Bridget headed back to her room to dress in her armor. After splashing some water on her face, Bridget pulled on her leggings and cotton shirt and then strapped on her scale armor. She brushed her hair slowly as she shifted through memories in her head before twisting her hair back and pinning it in place. She eyed her journal sitting on the side of the desk and picked it up. Bridget opened the thick book and sifted through the pages, scanning over a few entries and chuckling softly to herself. She then pulled out the rose Alistair had given her, still just as fresh as the day he picked it. Bridget held the flower underneath her nose for a brief second and took a breath, smiling at the delightful smell of the flower. She placed it to the side and picked up the nearby quill. She dipped it into the ink and placed it to the blank page. Bridget's hand was still for a moment before she moved it and began to write what she intended to be her last entry. Nothing made a sound in her room save for the scratching of the quill tip against the parchment and the occasional snort from a still sleeping Zeus. Once Bridget finished writing, she placed the quill back in the bottle and closed her journal. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror one last time. The Darkspawn would not win this battle today, she just knew it. Although she would have to give her life in the process, she would make sure those horrid creatures scurried back to the Deep Roads. Bridget nodded at her reflection and stood. She was no longer scared, in fact, she was at peace. Fereldan would not fall to the hands of darkness. She promised herself that.

Bridget whistled for Zeus, who immediately poked up his head and was at her side. She exited her room to find Zevran standing in the hallway. He smiled and nodded at her.

"How do you fair on this day of battle my Warden?" he asked.

Bridget returned his smile.

"Not half bad, actually. Do you think you could do something for me, Zevran?" she asked.

Zevran nodded.

"Of course, what is it you need?"

Bridget thought a moment before answering.

"Can you round our party up? I want to say something to all of you before we join the rest of the armies." She stated.

Zevran gave her a slight bow.

"As you wish. I'll bring everyone to the library."

Bridget thanked him and headed off to the room in question. She was only there for a few minutes before Zevran returned with the rest of their party. Once everyone was in the room, Bridget closed the door and moved to stand in front of them. Bridget smiled at each of them and said,

"I just wanted to tell each of you before we got into the heat of things that…I consider myself one of the _luckiest_ women in Thedas to have gotten to know each and every one of you. I am honored to call all of you my friends. As you all know I lost my family…but in all of you…I have gained another."

She turned to Morrigan who was at the front of the group. Bridget took her hands in hers and smiled at the baffled looking mage.

"Morrigan…although you and I may not have seen eye to eye on some things…I have the utmost respect for you and consider you the closest thing I could ever come to a sister. You are a strong and powerful mage and a wonderful friend. I know most of us probably got on your nerves more times than you can count but…I just want to thank you for sticking it out with us till the end."

Morrigan drew her brows together and looked extremely touched.

"I…growing up in the Wilds…I never had friends apart from the animals but you…you have shown me friendship despite how cold and cynical I am. You have shown me that there is good in this world apart from all the bad that I have seen. I too, am honored to call you a…friend…a sister, even."

Bridget gave her hands a light squeeze before dropping them and turning next to Leliana.

"Lel…if it weren't for your tales and songs, _all _of us I am quite sure would have gone mad with boredom. From the very beginning you proved to be a true friend. Through some of our most trying quests you have always kept a positive outlook, and your cooking goes without saying that you are skilled in other things than just spinning tales and throwing daggers. Thank you for everything you have done for us."

Leliana threw her arms around Bridget in a tight hug.

"You are most welcome, Bridget. I'm so glad you happened to stumble into that tavern in Lothering all those months ago! If you had not…I don't know where I would be today…but I am glad to say that I am with you."

Bridget hugged her back and then pulled away, turning her attention to Zevran who crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.

"And what does the lovely Warden have to say about me?" he asked.

Bridget grinned.

"Zevran, all I can say is that I am _so_ glad that I didn't kill you the first time we met. You have proven to be one of the best friends I have ever had. With your remarks and flirtatious demeanor, there is never a dull moment with you around. Thank you for staying with us even after we helped you kill Taliesin."

Zevran took Bridget's hand and pulled it to his lips.

"You are welcome my beautiful fire cracker. Say, when this dragon is slain and we begin to celebrate…why not reward me with a glimpse of that bountiful bosom of yours, eh?"

Bridget rolled her eyes and chuckled before turning to Wynne. As she began to thank the mage for all of her help, Alistair kept his eyes on her. Even with the impending battle drawing closer with each passing moment, she still managed to keep calm. Alistair looked down at his feet and frowned. He knew how much she wanted to join her family…especially now…but he couldn't allow her to sacrifice herself today. He just couldn't. Alistair didn't hear Bridget finish speaking with Oghren and was a little surprised when his head lifted up. Bridget had placed her fingertips underneath his chin so that she could look into his eyes.

"All I have to say to you, you already know, Alistair. You know that I love you still despite recent events. I just want to say thank you for always being by my side…and for helping me unite all of Fereldan to stand with us today. I have no doubt in my mind that you will become one of the strongest kings in Fereldan's history. You will lead the entire nation to prosperity…I have no doubt. I love you, Alistair Theirin."

Alistair drew his brows together and cupped the side of her face. He was about to say something before the nearby door opened and Eamon poked his head in the room.

"Ah Alistair, there you are. Do you have a moment? There is...something I would like to discuss with you."

Alistair turned back to Bridget for a second before he drew his brows together and nodded. He slowly pulled away and followed Eamon out. Bridget stared after them for a moment as her other friends began to exit the room. She found it odd that Eamon had not thrown a fit at the fact that she and Alistair were so close…since he hadn't known about what nearly happened back at Redcliffe or what occurred the previous night. Perhaps he had too much on his mind to even realize it. Bridget was about to leave as well before she noticed that Morrigan still remained in the room. Bridget furrowed her brow. She had never seen Morrigan look quite _this_ troubled by something. The mage looked to be at war with herself, but over what?

"Morrigan…is everything alright?" Bridget asked softly.

The mage lifted her gaze and stared at her friend for a long moment. She sighed and shook her head.

"No…I…I have to tell you something." She whispered.

Morrigan moved to sit on the nearby loveseat. Bridget copied her actions and sat next to her. Morrigan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm afraid that once I tell you this you will hate me…and that is the last thing that I want. I…as I said before you are my only friend, Bridget…and I don't want anything to take that away…"

Bridget drew her brows together.

"Whatever you have to say Morrigan, I will listen. I won't judge you and I certainly won't hate you. What's wrong?"

Morrigan turned and looked at her.

"I know why a Grey Warden must slay the Arch Demon…and I know that it would come down to you…you have to understand Bridget that I didn't want to lose you, not to the hands of that monster! So I…I knew of a way that could ensure yours and Alistair's survival if one of you kills it."

Bridget's eyes widened.

"You…you have a way that can prevent our deaths?" she asked softly.

Morrigan nodded.

"Yes…though it should be 'had a way'. It has already been done…but…how it happened will greatly upset you, I am sure."

Bridget looked confused, so Morrigan continued, turning her gaze back into her lap.

"The ritual required me to lie with a Grey Warden who had not had the Taint in their body for very long. From this I conceived a child…and the child will be the one to absorb the Arch Demon's essence when it falls."

She paused for a moment to let her words sink in before continuing.

"As you know, Riordan has been a Grey Warden for some time…but Alistair has not. I…told him about this last night and he refused to go through with it…but I slipped him a potion to fuddle his memory…and then I transformed into you so he would think that he was lying with you instead of me…and now I am carrying his child. I didn't want to approach you with this because I know that pregnancy is a sensitive topic where you two are concerned but…I couldn't let you die today, Bridget…not when I had the option to prevent it."

Morrigan closed her eyes, expecting a slap or for Bridget to break down or blow up next to her…so she was rather surprised when she felt her arms around her.

Bridget hugged Morrigan tightly as she felt a few tears fall from her eyes.

"Thank you so much." She whispered.

Morrigan, still shocked, slowly moved her arms and patted Bridget on her back. Bridget pulled away and stared at Morrigan.

"Morrigan…I was so scared that I might die today. I told myself over and over again not to be, that I could be with my parents again…but the thought of never seeing Alistair or the rest of you…I couldn't bear it."

Morrigan nodded and gave her a small smile.

"I am glad that I could help, then." She replied.

Bridget sighed and looked down into her lap.

"Though just because I live doesn't mean that Alistair and I have any hope of being together again."

Morrigan shook her head.

"I am not so sure. If you do slay the Arch Demon…you will be 'seemingly' dead for a few hours, perhaps less. I believe thinking that you had died and are now back to life, Alistair will realize that he can't live without you."

Bridget looked at her.

"Does he have any memory of the ritual?" she asked.

Morrigan shook her head.

"No…he shouldn't. The potion I gave him was supposed to wipe his memory of that completely…or make him think it was all a dream. Given that he isn't the brightest flame to begin with, he shouldn't have any recollection that I even approached him with this matter."

Bridget nodded.

"And what about you and the child?" she asked.

Morrigan was quiet for a moment before replying,

"After the battle I will disappear from here…and I ask that you do not seek me out. Alistair shouldn't remember anything…but on the off chance he does, you must persuade him to leave me and the child be. I can tell you now no matter how hard he may try to find us, he will not succeed."

Bridget took a moment to process everything before she looked at Morrigan again, hope shining in her eyes.

"Morrigan…is there a way you could help me conceive? Is there anything in Flemeth's Grimoire that could help Alistair and I have a baby?"

Morrigan drew her brows together and sighed.

"I am not sure. As you know, the Taint is like a slow poison…if you were to conceive, I do not know if the embryo would be able to sustain life within you. There are herbs that could be crushed to make potions that you could drink…but this is common knowledge to any mage. I'm afraid I can't help you any more in this matter than a mage from the Circle Tower can."

Bridget nodded and looked into her lap. Morrigan could tell that she was upset, so doing her best; she placed her hand on her shoulder.

"All is not lost though, Bridget. There are certain mages who only study pregnancy and fertility charms and potions. I believe it will happen…it will just take time."

Bridget looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you, Morrigan. You have done so much…I will respect your wishes and let you leave after the battle without any trouble."

Morrigan smiled and stood.

"Thank you…and I am glad that this did not cause a rift between us." She stated.

Bridget shook her head.

"Not at all. You have saved me and Alistair both, Morrigan. I can only be forever grateful to you."

Morrigan bowed her head as Bridget stood. They both exited the room together and joined the others down in the main hall.

_xXx_

Alistair followed Eamon into his office, dreading what the Arl could possibly have to say to him now. So many bad things were discussed while in Eamon's office before, so it was perfectly normal for Alistair to be wary of what the Arl had to say. Eamon closed the door behind him and walked over to his desk. He sat behind it and looked up at Alistair, a faint smile on his lips.

"You may sit." He stated.

Alistair did so, still wary. They were quiet for a few minutes before Eamon cleared his throat.

"I asked to speak with you, Alistair, because I must admit my mistake."

Alistair lifted his head and looked at him as his heart skipped a beat.

"Mistake?" he asked as he sat on the edge of his seat.

Eamon nodded.

"Yes. I realize now that I can't take Bridget away from you…you love her far too much. I am already placing the burden of running a country on your shoulders…I shouldn't take away the one thing that can help you cope with that. I was going to wait to tell you this…but I believe knowing this now instead of later will make you fight harder, fiercer, because you have something else to fight for. Once this Blight is over and after you are king…you may marry Bridget."

Alistair stared at Eamon for a brief second as he felt his heart soar…only to have it come to an abrupt halt. Yes he was thrilled, ecstatic even…but he was going to die today…what good was this news now when Death was breathing down the back of his neck? He couldn't let Eamon know this, however, for Eamon would probably tell Alistair that Bridget should sacrifice herself…and he wasn't going to allow that. He forced a large grin on his face and stood.

"You don't know how much that means to me, Eamon."

Eamon stood and nodded.

"I apologize for being so overbearing and prejudice before…it was foolish of me. Is there any room in your heart to forgive a stubborn old fool?" he asked.

Alistair nodded, seeing as how his forgiveness wouldn't mean much in a few hours anyway.

"Yes Eamon, I forgive you." He stated.

Eamon looked as if he were about to say something else when there was a knock at the door. Riordan poked his head through and said,

"We need to assemble the armies. They're coming." He stated grimly.

Eamon nodded. He stood quickly and exited the room as Alistair followed behind him. They made it into the main hall where all the other armies were already in formation and marching outside. He walked over towards Bridget who stood with the rest of their party. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile before following the other armies outside into the chilly air. They marched through the market place and towards Denerim's city gates. Once there, Bridget took to the front of the group and looked out at all of them.

"Friends, today is the day we take Fereldan back from the snares of the Darkspawn. They _will not_ win this battle. We will stand together and fight, till the very last man! If we are all to die here today…then we can be at peace and know that we didn't just hand over Denerim to the Darkspawn, we won't go down without a fight! May we celebrate joyously in victory…or may we meet again at the Maker's side." She shouted.

The armies all shouted back and raised their arms and weapons. The elves quickly climbed up onto the nearby buildings and onto the walls surrounding the entrance. The dwarves marched off and headed towards the alienage along with the soldiers from Redcliffe who went off to the Market Place. Palace guards then marched into view, led by the young boy who helped Alistair and Zevran rescue Bridget from Fort Drakon.

"We will help defend Fereldan to the very last man!" he shouted.

Alistair grinned and nodded at him. Bridget turned to face the city gates. She withdrew her sword and shield as her heart pounded in her chest. She didn't need the elves' warning that the Darkspawn were approaching, as their stench had given them away. Lanaya stood at the top of one of the nearby building's and raised her hand.

"Ready arrows! Fire!" she screamed.

The elves released their arrows and watched as they rained down on the Darkspawn. Not many were affected, but a few were. The hundreds of ogres decided to fight back by throwing large boulders at the walls of the city, which they did…taking out a few of the elves as they did so. The Darkspawn horde busted through the crumbling walls, shouting their strangled battle cries and running forward to destroy everything in their path. Bridget took on a Hurlock alpha as Alistair was busy with a Genlock alpha. Morrigan thrust her staff to the ground and conjured a lightning storm. She struck a few of the ogres with blasts of electricity, and Zevran came to her aid since her back was vulnerable and took down any Darkspawn who tried to interfere with her spell. Wynne casts enchantments on the party's weapons to enhance their attacks. Leliana and Oghren were back to back as a wave of Genlocks rushed towards them. Zeus showed no mercy as he pounced on a Genlock Emissary and tore out it's jugular vein.

Bridget thrust her sword into a Hurlock and tore through it's flesh. As she pulled out her weapon a loud roar erupted through the battle cries. She looked up and saw the Arch Demon fly overhead, unleashing it's fire and burning down some of the buildings. Thankfully the elves that were atop those buildings were able to get to safety…at least some of them did. Bridget narrowed her eyes at the monster and watched as it flew over what she guessed was the Market Place to breathe more fire onto the soldiers and buildings that were placed there. The sky was black as thunder and lightning erupted against it. Bridget was able to tell that the Arch Demon flew off in the direction of Fort Drakon, just as Riordan had predicted. She turned her attention back to the battle and came to Wynne's aid as the mage had been surrounded by Hurlocks. Her arms ached from the force of swinging her blade and bashing with her shield. These creatures, in the presence of their master, were _very_ tough to kill. Once she had taken care of those, Bridget looked around. Nearly every building was in flames, bodies of her allies and Darkspawn alike were strewn across the dirt as blood coated any and everything. For the moment, no more Darkspawn came through the main gate, Bridget took this brief moment to gather her friends around. Riordan ran up to her.

"The Arch Demon is at Fort Drakon just as I predicted. You must go through the Market Place and Alienage to get there, as you know. Take no more with you than three others, and leave some of your party behind to help the palace guards defend the gate."

With that, Riordan took off for the Market Place. Bridget turned to her friends who were covered in dirt and blood.

"This is it. Who's with me?"

Alistair, Morrigan, and Zevran stepped forward. Bridget nodded and turned to Oghren.

"I know full well that you can lead the men here, Oghren. Protect the walls at all cost and hold them for as long as you can."

Oghren gripped his axe and nodded.

"You got it, Warden." He stated.

Leliana kissed Zevran before running to catch up with Oghren who had already began to walk towards the palace guards. Wynne wished Bridget and the others luck as she went after them as well. Zeus whimpered slightly as he stared up at Bridget. She scratched his ears.

"Don't you worry about me, boy. I'll be fine." She stated.

He barked happily and bounded off after the others. Lanaya hurried towards her.

"What shall we do? Do you wish for us to remain here or go elsewhere?" she asked.

Bridget looked over the number of remaining elves and shook her head.

"How many have you lost?" she asked.

Lanaya looked down.

"About fifteen. We could split up the remainder if you wish and send the other half to help the mages hold the Fort…Gods know the monsters have probably gotten to them already." She stated.

Bridget nodded.

"Good idea. Split them up and send the others on ahead. We'll try and clear out the Market Place."

Lanaya nodded and turned to her troops and issued the order. Bridget turned back to her friends and nodded.

"Let's do this." She stated.

Bridget ran as fast as her feet would take her into the Market Place. Once there, she skidded to a halt. Three ogres were present, and the Redcliffe soldiers were doing all they could to hold them off. One ogre picked up a soldier and crushed him in his hand before biting off his head. Bridget gripped the hilt of her sword and rushed forward, taking on that ogre head on. She rolled out of the way as he reached for her and took that opportunity to climb up onto it's back. Bridget thrust her sword into the creature's head and jumped off of it as he crashed to the ground. She looked over her shoulder to see the soldiers from Redcliffe and the rest of her friends slay the last one before she turned to see another Darkspawn emerge, only this one was different from the rest.

Bridget could tell by his ornate armor that he must have had a very high rank and came to the realization that this Darkspawn was probably one of the generals that Riordan mentioned. The Darkspawn shook it's head and withdrew it's large axe.

"We will show you fear." His strangled voice whispered.

Bridget's eyes widened. In all of her travels she had never heard a Darkspawn actually speak before. She didn't think they were capable of speech…but this general certainly proved her wrong. Bridget charged for him but he dodged out of the way, fortunately into a fireball that Morrigan had just tossed. While he was preoccupied with that, Bridget ran for him again, and grazed his armor with the tip of her sword. The fire did not subdue the general long, however, and he was back to fighting within moments. More ogres burst into the area, roaring and beating their chests. The remaining soldiers took them on as did Alistair and Morrigan. Zevran remained behind to try and help Bridget with the general. He swung his axe and nearly landed a hit on Bridget's shoulder, but thanks to Zevran jumping in and blocking it, she was alright. Zevran continued to attack him, his quick arms dizzying the general and allowing the perfect distraction for Bridget. She was able to sneak up behind him and bash him with her shield hard enough where he was completely thrown to the ground. Bridget wasted no time and thrust her sword into its back while Zevran severed his head with a forceful slice from his daggers. The moment the general died, Bridget heard a devastating roar from the direction of Fort Drakon. She looked at Zevran and grinned.

"The Arch Demon _felt_ his death! His defenses are beginning to weaken!" she exclaimed.

Zevran smiled.

"That is wonderful new-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Bridget had thrown him down and out of the way of an incoming crossbow bolt that she took in her shoulder. She winced and pulled it out quickly. Thankfully her armor took most of the blow and it only nipped a part of her skin…but she still felt blood rushing forward. Zevran helped her stand.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Bridget nodded.

"Yeah, come on let's get the others." She stated.

For now the market place was quiet. Bridget regrouped with the rest of her friends and the soldiers from Redcliffe. They did good to only loose about five men and eagerly marched into the Alienage with Bridget and the others. Upon entering the Alienage, Shianni ran forward.

"You have to help us, the Darkspawn are trying to break down our gate, the dwarves have been able to hold them off so far, but if that gate falls they will no doubt swarm the homes!" she shouted frantically.

Bridget nodded.

"Stay back here and defend your homes, we'll stop the Darkspawn."

The rest of the group hurried forward and met up with the dwarves who were pushing up against the gate so that the Darkspawn wouldn't break through. Orvond, the dwarven commander, through his arms up in the air at the sight of Bridget and the others…

"Thank the Paragon's you finally showed up, Warden! It's all we could do to keep this gate closed."

Bridget nodded and looked at Morrigan.

"Light 'em up." She stated.

Morrigan stepped forward and grinned.

"My pleasure."

She thrust her staff to the ground and then waved it in the air in a circular motion.

"Call off your men in…three…two…"

Orvond whistled.

"Move yer asses let's go!"

The dwarves scattered away from the gate and just as they did so it gave way. The Darkspawn finally broke through but were greeted with a rush of flames in their faces. They screamed and cried as they fell to the ground, the flames eating away at their rotting flesh. Bridget and the others jumped over the bodies and threw themselves at the oncoming wave. The Redcliffe soldiers and the dwarves took on a nearby ogre alpha while Bridget and the rest of the party stopped the other, lesser, ranked Darkspawn. Morrigan was dueling with a Hurlock Emissary, shooting fire and lightning and dodging his swarm and entropy spells. Alistair bashed a Genlock with his shield and ducked as the next general swung his axe at him. Bridget rushed towards his aide and together they took on the general while Zevran and Morrigan kept the other Darkspawn at bay with the help from the dwarves and soldiers.

"One of you will fall at the feet of my master…and he will tear you limb from limb, rip you in half and consume your body. You pathetic humans have no hope on this day. We will ravage your land and kill every man, woman, and child that dare cross our path." The general snarled.

"Like hell you will!" Bridget growled.

She charged at him only for him to dodge out of the way. Alistair bashed him with his shield as Bridget dodged another swing of his axe. Bridget swung her blade and nearly hit Alistair.

"Where'd he go?" she shouted but received her answer just a few minutes later when she was thrown to the ground. Bridget winced as she landed on the stone walkway hard. She looked up to see the general atop her, raising his axe only to have Alistair yell and tackle him off and away from her. They wrestled a few minutes in the dirt and blood mixture before Alistair finally stabbed him in his chest. The general sputtered up blood and Bridget ran forward and sliced off his head as well. Once again another roar was heard in the distance as the Arch Demon was weakened by the loss of its last general. Bridget looked around to see the other Darkspawn in the area look up towards the cry of their master. The others took this opportunity to slay them and finally all the Darkspawn in the Alienage were vanquished. Bridget rubbed the side of her head where she landed before and winced. She shook her head and ignored the pain and looked at the others.

"Orvond, leave a few of your men behind in case more Darkspawn should come as well as a few Redcliffe soldiers. The rest of you, follow me."

Orvond nodded.

"You all heard the lady. Geralt, I want you and your squad to stay behind, the rest of you follow me…err the Warden!" he shouted.

Bridget ran forward and crossed the bridge linking the Alienage to the Palace District. Upon entering, she and the others ducked as the Arch Demon flew overhead, unleashing more fire on the buildings and the armies below. Bridget looked up then and saw Riordan standing atop one roof.

"What's he doing?" Alistair asked frantically.

Bridget gasped as Riordan jumped from the roof and landed on the back of the Arch Demon. Although it was hard to see, she could tell from the flashes of lightning that Riordan had indeed stabbed the Arch Demon! However, the only thing it seemed to accomplish was angering the great dragon even more so than it already was. It turned sharply in the air, casting Riordan off of its side. Bridget ran forward but it was too late, Riordan crashed into the stone ground, every bone within him shattering upon contact. Bridget and Alistair knelt by his side and looked at each other.

Alistair knew this would happen…he just knew it, and he already knew what was running through Bridget's mind. There was no way he could let her kill that monster…she _could not_ sacrifice herself for him…he would not allow it. Bridget touched the side of Riordan's face and was shocked when his eyes turned to look at her.

"I…_ack_ …s-orr…y…"

With that…Riordan slipped into the Maker's hands. Bridget closed her eyes as she rested her hand over Riordan's, sealing them shut forevermore. Although Morrigan told her earlier she wouldn't die…that didn't help with Bridget's nerves in the least. What happened if the ritual didn't work? Morrigan never did say it was completely guaranteed that they would survive…

Bridget shook her head. No. She wasn't going to dwell on this any longer. Her country, her people needed her, and she was sure as hell going to protect everyone she could. Bridget turned and drew her blade and shield, as did Alistair. They looked at each other and then turned to look at the nearby ogre alpha that stood atop the nearby stone steps throwing boulders down at the rest of the armies who had begun to defend themselves against the Darkspawn that were rushing in. Bridget gripped her sword.

"For Riordan!" she shouted.

She and Alistair ran forward and took on the alpha ogre head on. Although Bridget was beginning to feel herself tire earlier, having Riordan die in front of her made her call upon energy she didn't know she had. All the Darkspawn before her blade fell before they even had a chance of defending themselves. At the entrance to Fort Drakon's grounds, they were overwhelmed by Shrieks and several Genlock Emissaries. They also had some archers as well, and Bridget was nearly hit with another crossbow bolt before Zevran took care of the Darkspawn that shot it at her. Morrigan downed a lyrium potion and conjured a fierce blizzard that froze all the nearby Darkspawn and Shrieks in their place, making them much easier to kill. Once they were defeated the area was still and quiet before the Arch Demon roared again. Bridget stared up at Fort Drakon and swallowed.

"Let's go!" she shouted.

Just as she and the others entered the fort, a wave of Darkspawn swarmed into the district again. Orvond looked over his shoulder at her.

"You four go on ahead, we'll hold the district. Go slay that ugly son of a bitch!" he shouted.

Bridget nodded.

"Right, come on let's move!"

She and the others headed into the front grounds of Fort Drakon to find it covered with dead Darkspawn bodies. Morrigan smirked.

"Looks like the mages certainly did their part. My guess is they have joined the others at the top of the fort where the Arch Demon is." She stated.

Bridget nodded.

"Let's press on." She stated.

She led the others swiftly up the nearby steps and they slipped into the fort quietly. Bridget gasped and stopped in her tracks. Dead soldiers were spread out across the floor like crumbs. Zevran bent down to inspect one of them.

"These are the Fort's personal militia…I recognize this one from when Alistair and I broke in to rescue you." He stated.

Bridget looked around at all the dead bodies and noticed a few Chantry sisters as well. She shook her head and sighed.

"Those bastards…come on we can't afford to waste any time."

And so they began the long trek through the many floors of Fort Drakon, running into trouble every way they turned. Darkspawn were hidden throughout the fortress, but none of them lasted very long. Bridget was hit in the side with the hilt of a Genlock's axe at one point, but pressed forward anyway, despite the pain. At the last floor they were overrun by Darkspawn of all types, Genlocks, Hurlocks, alphas of both classes, and finally an ogre. Bridget and the others fought bravely, admirably, and showed no mercy to the sick and twisted creatures. Alistair kept a watchful eye over Bridget as she turned and dodged and attacked with the force of a hundred men. He thought back briefly to when he first met her back at Ostagar and had made the foolish mistake of almost underestimating her. He shook his head. She was really something else. Once the ogre and other Darkspawn were defeated, Bridget turned to her friends and took a deep breath.

"Once we step through these doors…there's no coming back. Good luck to each of you and please be careful." She stated.

She briefly glanced at Alistair and threw herself in his arms. Bridget kissed him deeply one final time before turning her back to him and throwing the doors open. She ran forward, yelling out at the top of her lungs as the others followed her.

They had finally made it to the top of the tower.

Bridget burst threw another doorway and ran out into the freezing rain that was now falling from the sky. She noticed Eamon, Teagan, Lanaya, and First Enchanter Irving were already here along with the other mages and a handful of elves. A nearby door flew open and Orvond and his troops rushed in followed by what remained of Eamon's men. The area was filled with Darkspawn, Shrikes, and a few ogres. But the one thing that Bridget was after was not present…at least for a brief moment. She looked up and saw the Arch Demon circling the top of the tower before it landed off in the nearby distance, the force of it's landing nearly throwing everyone nearby off of their feet. The Arch Demon roared and breathed fire.

"What's the plan?" Zevran asked.

Bridget scanned the battlefield for a moment before she noticed a ballistae positioned nearby and ready to fire. She pointed to it and turned to Zevran.

"Aim the ballistae at the Arch Demon, Morrigan will cover you. Alistair, you and I need to help the others with the Darkspawn swarm below. We'll have to go through a lot of them before we can get to the Arch Demon itself. Ready?"

Everyone nodded and took their positions. Zevran hurried over to the ballistae and pulled the lever. He watched gleefully as the large bolt flew across the battlefield and into the Arch Demon's side. The beast let out a wail and then swung it's tail in fury, instantly killing the five soldiers that were unlucky enough to be skewered on the tail's spikes. Morrigan snarled and conjured another lightning storm as Zevran pulled the lever once again. Bridget found herself fighting back to back with Eamon of all people, and found that the old man still had some spark left in him. Eamon was ruthlessly slaying Darkspawn left and right with his large sword, showing the filthy creatures no mercy what so ever. Irving was taking on a small army of Shades and Shrieks singlehandedly. Bridget was going to shout to Alistair to help the elder mage, but the man needed no help. With a simple wave of his hand, the Shades bursts into flames, and with a wave of his other hand, the Shrieks were frozen in place, and were then crushed by the large rock fist he sent flying at them. Bridget smiled slightly. Her hope was beginning to grow as she heard another devastating roar of pain from the Arch Demon. Just then, the Arch Demon took up into the air again and fired up some more soldiers and a few elves this time. The mages quickly rushed to their aid and doused the flames before anyone was severely injured…but then those three mages that did that were knocked off the side of the fort as an ogre rushed towards them. The Arch Demon landed on the other side of the rooftop then, making Zevran have to switch ballistae. Bridget ran to help Morrigan cover Zevran's flank as he maneuvered through the battle and towards the other ballistae. Once he made it, Morrigan nodded to Bridget.

"We should be fine now, thank you."

Bridget nodded and once again joined the battle below. She rushed to help Orvond who was about to come face to face, literally, with a Hurlock's axe. She bashed it with her shield and helped him stand.

"Thanks Warden!" he shouted and dove head first back into battle. Bridget kept her eye on Alistair and noted that he was not too far away from where she was currently standing. She looked back towards the Arch Demon to see that the mages were giving everything they had against the monster to avenge their fallen friends. Eamon's men were also slashing their swords through the beast's flesh and dodging as best as they could when he lifted a leg to stomp on them. With their attacks, plus Zevran's blow from the ballistae, the Arch Demon was weakening. Bridget could feel it. Bridget took a deep breath and swallowed as it roared out in pain. She sensed it…he was dying. It was now or never. Bridget looked over at Alistair and their eyes locked. He shook his head.

"Don't you dare!" he shouted and started running forward.

Bridget tore ahead of him and ran towards the dragon. She raised her sword and cut underneath it's belly as she ran beneath it. The Arch Demon roared out in pain again as Bridget climbed onto it's back. She ran forward trying to keep her balance as the Arch Demon was now wavering in place. She held her footing and gripped the hilt of her sword.

"For Fereldan!" she shouted.

Bridget thrust her sword into the Arch Demon's skull and continued to push it forward until it would not go any further.

Alistair watched in horror as she stabbed the beast repeatedly, over and over again until it gave one, final strangled roar before a tossing Bridget from it's head. A bright light burst through the area and shot all the way up into the sky. From the force of the kill, Alistair and the others were completely thrown to their feet.

Alistair winced as he slowly stood. He shook his head to get his vision back into focus. He looked around him to see the Darkspawn fleeing, and the others cheering, regrouping, holding their friends and loved ones close. Alistair's eyes widened as he turned to wear the corpse of the Arch Demon lay. While everyone else ran in the opposite direction, Alistair ran forward, his heart, his soul crumbling with each step. Alistair stopped and looked around him. He turned to see Bridget laying nearby and ran towards her.

"No…no…please Maker no…" he whispered as he fell beside her.

Alistair rolled her over and nearly choked on his tears. Blood covered her face, her body, Alistair ripped off her gauntlet and pressed his fingers to her wrist.

"Please don't be dead…please don't be…" he whispered as tears fell from his eyes.

There was no sign of a heartbeat against his fingertips. First Enchanter Irving rushed forward with one of his best healers who knelt beside him and placed his hands on Bridget's chest. His hands erupted in a blue glow as he ran them over the length of her body. Alistair watched, dazed, his mind glazed over in memories of himself and Bridget, when they first met, all their conversations, her acceptance of his rose, the first night they made love, and all the many times after. He thought of her smile, her touch, those beautiful blue eyes that he would never see again…and shook with his sobs. The mage drew his brows together and shook his head.

"She is gone." He whispered.

Zevran, who was now at Alistair's side swallowed the lump in the back of his throat as he felt his eyes fill with tears. Eamon drew his brows together as he stared down at Bridget's broken body and Alistair sobbing over it. He looked at Teagan who was looking at him with the same amount of shock filled in his eyes. Bridget, who had fought so bravely, so valiantly…was dead…

Morrigan kept her distance and watched as Alistair took Bridget into his arms and rocked her back and forth as his screams and cries filled the air. She kept inching back until she finally disappeared into the shadows…knowing full well that soon enough, everyone would be at peace. Alistair was heaving now from the force of his cries. Zevran put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"I am so sorry, my friend." He sputtered out in the midst of his own tears.

Alistair swallowed and lifted Bridget into his arms. He stood and carried her away from the corpse of that damnable dragon and slowly made his way back through the Fort and Palace District. Through the Alienage, the elves that had emerged from their homes stood, shocked at the image of Alistair carrying their savior's lifeless corpse through their streets. Alistair saw nothing, heard nothing, he just kept walking. Zevran was at his side, as were Eamon, Teagan, Lanaya, Irving, and Orvond. Upon entering the Marketplace, Alistair noticed Oghren and the rest of their friends standing in the distance. Zeus turned and bounded towards him, barking happily, but skidded to a halt as his eyes landed on Bridget's body. Alistair stared at the dog briefly to see him put his ears down and slowly sit. He lifted his head and howled loudly. Leliana ran forward and threw herself into Zevran's arms before she realized that Alistair was carrying Bridget's lifeless body. She and Wynne both gasped, and Oghren stared up at them in disbelief.

"She's not dead…jus pulling our legs…right…right?" he asked slowly.

Alistair continued to walk forward, towards the Chantry. The sisters and brothers were beginning to exit the establishment to help those who were injured, but all of them stood, completely still as Alistair approached them.

"May I go to the Dead Hall and prepare her body for burial?" he asked softly.

The chantry sisters didn't bother wasting time with questions and nodded solemnly. Alistair walked past them and entered the Chantry. He turned and descended the steps nearby and entered the preparation room. He slowly walked to the stone slab and gently lowered Bridget's body to it. When he pulled away, her arm fell and dangled over the side of the table…as if to mock him and remind him that her body was just a lifeless shell now…empty of that beautiful soul he had fallen in love with. His lip trembled as he slowly moved her arm and placed it atop the table, running his thumb over her chilly hand. Alistair turned and grabbed a nearby towel and dipped it into the basin of water. He turned back to Bridget and placed the damp rag against her face and slowly began to wipe the blood away.

He swallowed.

"You know…Eamon was going to let us marry after all? He told me right before we left the estate…but it's too late…" Alistair whispered.

He cast his eyes back to Bridget's now clean face…but failed to note the slight color in her cheeks since he began to cry again. Alistair dropped to his knees and buried his face on her torso.

"Bridget you are my life, my soul! H-how can I live without you?"

He threaded his fingers through her hand.

"Please don't…don't leave me! Take another form! Become a swallow…a flower…a butterfly…something! But please…please don't leave me somewhere alone where I cannot find you…or any essence of you. Please my love…please!" he begged and sobbed.

Through his tears, Alistair didn't notice Bridget's face twitch, nor did he realize that her hand was beginning to return to its normal temperature. However, he thought he heard a thump in his ear and lifted his head. Alistair stilled his sobs and held his breath.

"Bridget…?" he whispered softly.

Alistair swallowed and watched in awe as she drew her brows together. He thought he would nearly pass out as Bridget's eyes slowly fluttered open. She took a deep, rasping breath and let it out slowly, and repeated that process a few times…as if learning how to breathe again. Alistair watched, his mouth gaping open as Bridget turned her gaze to him. She gave him a small smile.

"I guess we saved the world…huh?" she asked softly.

Alistair shook his head as a large grin broke out on his face. He took her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

"Oooh…not too tight my love…I think I have a few cracked ribs…" she stated.

Alistair immediately loosened his grip and pulled back to look at her. He cupped the side of her face and shook his head.

"But…I don't understand…h-how is this even possible?" he asked.

Bridget looked at him.

"Perhaps the Maker had something to do with it." She replied.

Alistair hiccupped on his sobs before he lowered his face to hers and kissed her deeply. He broke the kiss and stroked the side of her face.

"Eamon has given us permission to marry, Bridget. He told me so just this morning…" he said softly.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Well are you going to ask me?" she asked.

Alistair nodded and chuckled.

"Right, right…sorry." He replied.

He cleared his throat and looked into her icy blue eyes…eyes that he thought he would never get to look into again, eyes that were the very windows to her beautiful soul…a soul that had captured him from the very beginning…and a soul that would spend the rest of its existence entwined with his.

"Bridget Elizabeth Cousland…would you grant me the greatest honor and become my wife?" Alistair asked slowly.

Bridget tilted her head to the side.

"If you promise me one thing." She stated.

Alistair nodded.

"Anything, anything at all."

Bridget looked at him.

"If you are ever going to break up with me again, let it be for your own reasons and decisions and not because someone else tells you too." She stated.

Alistair chuckled.

"I promise…but you won't have to ever worry about that, my love." He said.

Bridget smiled.

"Good, because if you did ever break up with me again I would be forced to cut off your dangly bits and feed them to Zeus."

Alistair laughed, but quickly stopped when he noticed the serious look on her face.

"I'm not kidding." She stated.

Alistair cleared his throat uncomfortably and smiled.

"Noted…so…?"

Bridget sat up a bit and ran her finger down his nose and lips. She looked into his honey colored eyes and grinned.

"Yes, my love. I am yours forevermore." She whispered.

Alistair grinned and dipped his face to Bridget's again and kissed her deeply. He picked her up in his arms and hurried back up the stairs and out of the Chantry where their friends stood, still in tears.

"She's alive!" Alistair shouted.

Everyone turned and rushed towards them, wiping their eyes and giving them forceful hugs. Zeus nearly knocked everyone else over as he bounded towards his mistress, little nub tail wagging as fast as it would go. Bridget smiled and hugged everyone while Wynne healed her injuries. When Oghren walked up to her, Bridget tilted her head to the side.

"Oghren are you…are you crying?" she asked.

Oghren frowned and shook his head.

"No! I…I jus' got a hornet in my eye, that's all."

Bridget smiled at him. It wasn't hornet season. Wynne stood and smiled.

"That's all I can do for right now…but you should be fine." She stated.

Eamon and Teagan walked forward as Alistair helped Bridget stand to her feet. Eamon smiled at her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I take it Alistair has told you the good news?"

Bridget smiled and nodded.

"Yes." She stated.

Eamon looked at her.

"Can you forgive an old fool?"

Bridget wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"If I did not…I would not be any better than the creatures we slaughtered her today." She said softly.

Eamon pulled away and placed his hand on the side of her face.

"Your father would be so proud of you, Bridget. I know he would."

Bridget nodded and settled her back against Alistair's chest. She and the rest of her friends turned towards the rising sun as the clouds finally dispersed. With the dawn of a new day, the Blight was over…and Fereldan was saved. She turned to Alistair and smiled up at him. Alistair caressed the side of her face and smiled.

"I can't wait till our wedding, my love." He whispered.

Bridget grinned.

"You have to become king first, my dear. And during that time…well…let's just say you're going to have the wits teased out of you until then…after all, I never properly gave you a punishment for breaking up with me in the first place."

Alistair groaned.

"Cruel, cruel woman…we'll have to fix that…"

Bridget chuckled as Alistair took her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Zevran and Leliana turned to each other and did the same. Wynne rested her head on Irving's shoulder, Eamon and Teagan smiled at each other, and Oghren turned to see Zeus staring at him.

"Don't even think about, gah!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Zeus licked the side of Oghren's face, as the others chuckled. Bridget looked up into the sky and closed her eyes, thanking the Maker, and Morrigan, for having things go in their favor for once…and for having the opportunity to see another day.

**A/N:** _Whew! I am so sorry this took so long you guys, but as you can see it was a rather long chapter! Anyways, Fereldan is saved and everyone made it out alive! Woo! Now this isn't the last chapter, I still have a few more surprises left! As always, thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites and alerts! I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as I can! :)_


	60. Chapter 59: A New King

Chapter 59

A New King

The days that followed the end of the Blight were days of happiness…as well as sadness. Many had not lived through the battle and the majority of those that had were injured in some way or another. It took nearly a week for the dead to be collected and identified, but each of them was given a proper burial. The commanders that Bridget had rallied remained in Denerim, wanting to participate in Alistair's upcoming coronation. She and her friends were now lodged at the Royal Palace as Eamon frantically arranged for the ceremony to take place. Because of the impending arrangement, Bridget and Alistair hardly saw each other as both of them were being measured for finer clothes and shoes. Although their wedding would not take place until sometime after his coronation, it was all that was on both of their minds; Leliana's too as she offered to help plan the ceremony.

"I shall throw you an authentic Orlesian wedding!" she vowed over and over again.

Although neither Bridget nor Alistair openly refused her help…both of them were a little wary of what Leliana meant when she said 'authentic'. After all, the Olesians were known for boisterous and perhaps rather overly extravagant ceremonies. Alistair was sure that Eamon would probably have a say in the arrangement, so he tried not to think of it too much. The only thing that was occupying his thoughts was his beautiful betrothed. Until they got married, Eamon pleaded with them to sleep apart, to please the Grand Cleric as she would no doubt dislike the fact that neither of them were virgins, so Alistair had to get used to a cold bed. Because of all the activity, he hardly saw his love save for the time both of them could sneak away to a dark corner for a few kisses and light caresses. Beyond that though, nothing happened…and it was beginning to take a toll on Alistair's patience. Zevran frequently noted how 'cranky' Alistair had become, which didn't do anything for his mood…and Bridget's teasing only added salt to the wound. Fortunately today though, he would get to spend a little time with her as the Orlesian Warden Commander, Victus, arrived in the city and was to meet with both of them. Alistair checked himself in his mirror one last time and sighed, still getting used to seeing himself in nobleman's clothing. He slowly made his way down the halls and to his office, noting in passing all of the banners hanging from the ceiling beams that the servants were trying to fix for his coronation the next morning. He passed by a frazzled looking Eamon who was speaking frantically about the following morning with Teagan who noticed Alistair walking by and said,

"Bridget's already in your office ready to meet with Victus whenever he arrives."

Alistair nodded and quickened his step towards his office. He opened the door and smiled as he laid his eyes on his love. Bridget's back was turned to him as she was staring out the large window. Her hair was down for a change; some of the strands were pulled from the side of her head and met at the back. Her hair glowed in the sunlight that filtered in through the window. Upon hearing the door close as Alistair stepped inside, she turned and smiled at him. Alistair grinned back sheepishly noting that her sky blue dress hugged her curves sinfully.

"You look absolutely stunning." He whispered as he stepped towards her, taking her hands in his.

Bridget smiled up at him.

"You don't look half bad yourself in your finer threads."

Alistair chuckled and dipped his head to hers, claiming her mouth slowly in his. Bridget sighed against his lips and kissed him back, moving herself closer to him. Alistair broke the kiss after a moment and took a breath, breathing in her lovely lavender and cinnamon scent.

"How much longer must we wait? I'm so _lonely_ at night without you." He breathed.

Bridget chuckled.

"Perhaps tomorrow after the celebrations…I'm sure most of everyone will get drunk…no one would notice if I slipped away with you…I am sure."

Alistair rested his forehead against hers and drew his brows together.

"Please tell me you aren't just saying that to tease me…everyone's beginning to notice my crankiness."

Bridget gave him a throaty laugh before shaking her head.

"No, this time I am not teasing you, I promise." She whispered softly against his ear before she flicked it with her tongue.

Alistair chuckled slightly and cleared his throat, pulling himself away from her.

"Okay no more…less I turn Victus away and carry you upstairs right now."

Bridget gave him a sultry smile and walked over to the desk, swaying her hips more than necessary.

"As you wish, my king."

Alistair followed her and sat at the chair as Bridget stood next to him. Just then a knock sounded against the door and upon Alistair's request, the servant revealed himself.

"A lord Victus Reignheart to see you, sir." He stated.

Alistair nodded and stood as the servant hurried away as a large man entered the room. His hair was long and as black as night, but carried a few greying strands. He carried his helmet with him and Bridget noted the scars on his face. Victus had a large scar that stretched from the top of his lip completely to his chin, Bridget guessed, though the scruffle on his face made her question that. His left eye was covered with a patch that, when looked at closely, had the Grey Warden symbol embroidered on it. His armor was very ornate and looked to be made completely of steel. A few other, younger men followed in behind him and stood behind their leader. Victus bowed graciously as did the other members of the order.

"Sir Alistair, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I am Victus Reignheart, Warden Commander for the Orlesian forces."

Bridget curtsied as Alistair bowed.

Victus looked over his shoulder and stepped to the side to introduce his men.

"This is Albert Bastien, a junior member."

A young man with copper colored hair stepped forward and bowed.

"Greetings." He said his accent thick.

Victus nodded and pointed to his other companion.

"And this is Damien Constantine, my second in command."

The also younger, chestnut colored haired man stepped forward.

"It is an honor." He stated.

Alistair grinned as he walked around his desk and towards them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Victus. Duncan used to tell me many stories of yours and his younger days." He said as he shook the commander's hand.

Victus grinned.

"Yes I remember those quite well, as if only yesterday."

He then set his kind brown eye on Bridget.

"You must be Lady Cousland." He noted.

Bridget walked forward.

"Indeed, newest of the new to the Order." She stated.

Victus chuckled.

"I'd hardly call you a new member seeing as how you stopped the Blight…and lived to tell about it. You have accomplished something that no Grey Warden has ever done…to slay the Arch Demon and live to tell the tale is truly remarkable." He stated.

Bridget smiled and nodded, hoping he wouldn't pry too much into how she survived. Considering Alistair had not mentioned anything about Morrigan's ritual…Bridget honestly didn't want to bring it up.

Victus turned his attention back to Alistair.

"So your coronation will take place tomorrow?" he asked.

Alistair nodded.

"Yes, finally. Arl Eamon has been tugging his beard trying to get it planned as quickly as possible. You are welcomed to stay if you so wish."

Victus nodded.

"Indeed I believe we will stay…and when will your wedding be?"

Alistair and Bridget looked at each other briefly wondering why Victus would want to know that.

"We are not yet sure…since Alistair's coronation is the main priority…we haven't given it much thought." Bridget replied.

Victus looked at her.

"I see…well I wanted to offer you a position as a commanding officer with the Wardens but I believe you would most likely want to remain here."

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"You would offer me a position? But why?" she asked.

Victus chuckled.

"I believe the question is 'why not'? You killed an Arch Demon and lived to brag about it! Why wouldn't we offer you the chance to lead other armies against those creatures?"

Alistair looked at Bridget and studied her face. He thought for a mad moment that with her becoming queen once they married…he was taking away from her the lifestyle that she wanted, yearned for as a child. What if she grew bored sitting around the castle and helping him run a country when instead she could be enjoying herself in the heat of battle?

"I would love to, Victus…but as you said, I would rather remain here. After all…I don't plan on being one of those queens who just sits about to look pretty."

Victus nodded.

"I understand, my lady. May we retire for now, Alistair? It has been a long journey and I wish to rest for the celebrations tomorrow."

Alistair pulled himself out of his thoughts and turned his attention back to Victus.

"Yes of course, ask any servant and they will show you and your men to some rooms." He stated.

Victus nodded and bid farewell. Once he and the others left, Alistair turned to Bridget.

"Are you sure you don't want to become Warden Commander? I know how much you enjoy the thrill of battle…I don't want to deprive you of that…"

Bridget touched the side of his face and shook her head.

"My place is with you, Alistair. By your side as your friend, your wife, and your queen." She stated.

Alistair drew his brows together.

"But will you really be happy here? Wearing dresses all the time and meeting diplomats?"

Bridget tipped her head to the side.

"Just because I'm going to be your queen doesn't mean I can't still practice in the knight's quarter with my sword and shield. I intend for us to spar with each other from time to time, my dear." She replied.

Alistair grinned.

"You know what usually happens when we spar with each other…" he whispered as he rested his hands against her hips.

Bridget smiled back at him and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck.

"Indeed I do…"

Just as Alistair leaned forward to kiss her, there was another knock at the door. Alistair sighed and rested his forehead on Bridget's shoulder in defeat as his shoulders slumped forward.

"Yes?" he asked in a tight voice.

"Another visitor, sir…only this man would not give his name."

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"Were you meeting with anyone else today?" she asked.

Alistair shook his head.

"Not that I know of…"

Bridget looked at him and then back at the door.

"Send them in." she stated.

Alistair pouted.

"But…but…I'm not supposed to meet with anyone else." He stated.

Alistair's eyes then widened. Unknown to Bridget, he had commissioned a jeweler to craft an intricate ring for her, to signify their engagement. He intended to give it to her as a wedding present and thought briefly if he set up an appointment with him today to discuss the design of the ring.

"Oh! I remember who it is now! Um…do you think you could go somewhere else for a little while?"

Bridget gaped at him.

"What? A moment ago you were about to ravish me senseless and now you want me to go elsewhere? Just who is coming to visit you, pray tell?"

"Is this a bad time?"

Bridget immediately froze in place. That voice…

Alistair looked over his shoulder. Standing in the doorway was a tall man with chocolate brown hair. His face was worn and he carried deep, dark bags under his eyes, bust still wore a kind smile against his lips. He was dressed in a traveling cloak and simple attire.

"Oh wait you're not the man I…"

Alistair furrowed his brow as he stared into the man's eyes. They were a piercing blue…

"Fergus!"

Bridget nearly knocked Alistair over as she ran past him and threw her arms around her older brother. Fergus hugged her back tightly and spun around in place.

"Oh my dear sister…thank the Maker you're alright."

He pulled away and smiled as he wiped away Bridget's tears.

"The stories I've heard of you…a Grey Warden? Uniting Fereldan? Slaying the Arch Demon? I would expect nothing less."

Bridget hiccupped and buried her face in his chest.

"Oh Fergus…I thought I lost you too. You must hate me…Oriana, Orhen, mother and father…I couldn't save anyone!"

Fergus shook his head.

"No…I will never hate you, Bridget, never. I know the details of what happened that night…please don't blame yourself. No one could have predicted Howe's treachery. I take comfort in knowing that he died at your hands."

Bridget nodded.

"I stabbed him right in his chest; it would've been in his heart if he had one to begin with." She stated.

Fergus hugged her tightly again before remembering Alistair was in the room. He released Bridget and stepped forward.

"So…I take it you are Alistair?" he asked.

Alistair nodded and held out his hand.

"It's so nice to finally,"

Before he could finish his sentence, Fergus punched him square in the jaw, making Alistair stumble backwards.

"That's for breaking my sister's heart at the Landsmeet, you jackass!" he shouted.

Alistair swallowed, a little afraid of what else Fergus was going to do, but instead the eldest Cousland laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Sorry about that…just had to get it out of my system. I hear you're marrying her now, right? Or is that the false bit of gossip?" he asked.

Alistair shook his head.

"Oh no we're definitely getting married…we're just not sure when yet."

Fergus nodded.

"That's good to know…you do realize if you ever hurt her again I'll kill you, king or no, right?"

Alistair gulped and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maker…Bridget threatened to cut off my dangly bits and now you're threatening to kill me! You lot are a violent bunch." He stated.

Fergus grinned as Bridget chuckled, still wiping her tears of happiness away. Her brother cleared his throat and became serious for a moment, turning his attention back to his sister.

"You know they burned our castle. I travelled back there…it's not pretty." He stated.

Bridget drew her brows together.

"Was it completely burnt to the ground?" she asked softly.

Fergus shook his head.

"No…part of the castle was still standing, though I am not sure how stable it is. Someone also buried…"

He looked down and swallowed. Bridget walked up to him and hugged him.

"That was kind of them…I wonder who did it?"

Fergus shook his head.

"I do not know…but flowers were also placed outside the castle as well…I suppose the villagers may have placed them there, perhaps they even buried the bodies…it's difficult to say."

Bridget nodded and smiled at him.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Fergus. Do you think when Alistair and I do marry…you could escort me down the aisle?"

Fergus grinned.

"But of course. Maker, if mother could see you now, soon to be queen of Fereldan, I believe she may have had a fit, she always had big plans for you in the marriage department, you know."

Bridget chuckled.

"Indeed."

Alistair smiled. He was grateful that Fergus was safe and that Bridget was able to reunite with him. He followed them out into the main hall where she introduced him to the rest of their friends, who greeted Fergus as if he were with them for their entire journey. In a matter of minutes he and Oghren had already placed a bet on who could drink the most ale, and Zevran and he were cracking naughty jokes left and right. Bridget sighed happily, sending a silent prayer to the Maker thanking him for keeping Fergus alive.

While Bridget and Fergus began to chat, Alistair noticed Victus signaling to him in the far corner. He walked over to the commander, now dressed in simpler attire, and nodded towards him.

"Is your room to your liking, Victus?"

The older man nodded.

"Indeed it is. I was wondering…may we have a word? There are some other things that I would like to discuss."

Alistair drew his brows together.

"Well, Bridget has just been reunited with her brother…I'm not sure if I can ask her to come away when he has only just returned."

Victus shook his head.

"That is fine, I would prefer to speak to you privately anyhow."

Alistair looked at Victus quizzically before he nodded slowly and led him back to his office. Once there, Alistair settled himself behind the large ornate desk whilst Victus took the seat sitting in front of the desk. The two were quiet for a moment before Alistair sighed.

"You must forgive my hesitance, Victus. I am not sure how this whole 'meeting' thing actually goes. While trying to stop the Blight, Bridget was the one who always took care of that…I'm afraid I'm not sure how to go about this, exactly."

Victus nodded and sat forward in his chair.

"Allow me to start then, if you will."

Alistair nodded. Victus laid his one good eye on Alistair, and he noticed it looked rather…worried.

"I wish to speak more of how Lady Cousland managed to survive killing the Arch Demon. Do you have any idea how this impossible feat was accomplished?"

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"What are you trying to say…Victus?" he asked slowly.

Victus frowned slightly and stood, placing his hands behind his back and took to pacing around the room.

"We heard that you had an apostate traveling with you, a mage who had somehow evaded the Templars and the Circle of Magi all together. What I am trying to say is…for Bridget to have survived the killing blow of the Arch Demon…magic must have played a part. And when I say magic…I am not talking about it in general…I am speaking of dark magic…Blood Magic." He explained.

Alistair kept his quizzical eyes on Victus, and had a chill run through his body as a flash of a memory appeared before his eyes, one of a cold hand against his chest, cold lips against his own.

He shook his head.

"Are you trying to say that my fiancée partook in blood magic?" he asked, his voice rising slightly.

Victus turned sharply on his heel and bore his eye into him.

"I am not making accusations here, sir. All I am saying is that it is rather odd that your betrothed survived something that should have killed her instantly. No one in the history of the Grey Wardens has ever survived such a feat! Do you know how far back our history stretches?"

Alistair narrowed his eyes.

"I am well aware of that, sir." He replied, his patience beginning to thin.

Victus sighed and shook his head.

"I seek no quarrel, Alistair. I am just merely curious as to how she survived. Do you not find anything about this strange at all?"

Alistair swallowed, another flash erupting in front of his eyes of Morrigan speaking to him of…_something_, something he didn't like the sound of…

Before Victus could say anything else, Eamon barged into the room, carrying with him an armful of scrolls.

"Alistair I need to go over tomorrow with…"

Eamon looked from Victus to Alistair and raised an eyebrow.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

Alistair shook his head.

"No. Victus was just leaving, weren't you?" he asked, turning his gaze back to the commander.

Victus sighed and bowed before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. Eamon looked at Alistair and furrowed his brow.

"Everything alright? You could cut the tension in this room with a blade."

Alistair nodded.

"Nothing to worry about…" he said, trying to convince himself in the process.

Although he did not want to believe the words Victus had said, Alistair thought of nothing else as he and Eamon went over the plans for the next morning. As they continued to go over the plans, flashes from either a dream or perhaps reality kept appearing before Alistair, ones of him storming off after Morrigan suggested something nothing less than sinister…

What if…what if that dream he had was not a dream after all? What if Morrigan had tricked him? Disguised herself as Bridget and he conceived a child with her unwillingly? Alistair let out a shaky breath…

What would Bridget do if she ever found out that he and Morrigan possibly…

"Be sure to rest well tonight, Alistair. You will have to speak with nearly all the nobility in Fereldan come tomorrow."

Alistair sighed…

There was no way he would sleep well on this night.

_xXx_

The next morning Alistair stood in his room in front of a large floor length mirror as his manservant dressed him in his finest clothes. His shirt was very ornate, having many swirls embroidered into tunic and sleeves with gold and silver thread. His breeches were silken and brown and, before he left the room, he would don a crimson colored, velvet cape that would trail behind him. In all honesty, Alistair was relieved he didn't have to dress like this every day, what with the cape and all. Thank the Maker that his coronation was taking place during Wintermarch, if not he would burn up in all of these furs and silks. Alistair took a deep breath and sighed. His nerves were all over the place, and his mind was racing…but it had nothing to do with his coronation. Well…perhaps partly…but the main thoughts in his mind were about Victus' words…and what he may have possibly done.

"There you are, sir. You still have some time left before the ceremony begins, I will come for you when Arl Eamon is ready."

Alistair, still too preoccupied with his thoughts, only nodded in reply. He heard the door close behind him as he settled himself on the foot of the bed. Alistair did not hear the door reopen as he was too deep in thought, and nearly jumped out of his skin when Bridget touched his shoulder.

"Maker Alistair! You nearly scared me out of my dress!" she exclaimed.

Alistair turned to her to reply, but found his response caught in his throat. His lips twitched up into a smile as he swept his eyes over her figure. Bridget wore a beautiful dress the color of a fresh red rose. Golden thread was embroidered in the bodice and at the dress's hem. Her hair was pulled back today, but this time it was not in a quickly thrown up bun, but a very elegant one. His eyes rested on her bosom where his mother's amulet rested against her skin.

"Would that be such a terrible thing?" he asked as she sat next to him.

Bridget chuckled.

"Wicked, wicked man, having such sinful thoughts with the Grand Cleric just a few halls away."

Alistair smirked and ran the tips of his fingers across the top of her breasts. Bridget lifted his chin and shook her head.

"Eyes up here, sir." She stated.

Alistair drew his brows together.

"I am a weak man, Bridget. You can't expect me to ignore the fact that your bosom is nearly pushed up to your nose."

Bridget rolled her eyes.

"Blame this blasted corset for that. You're going to have to do something about that later…you know. The strings are pulled so tight…you may just have to _rip_ it off of me."

Alistair pouted.

"Now you're just being mean. You know what a long day we have ahead of us…now all I'm going to be thinking about while the Grand Cleric is blessing my reign is me ripping that corset off of you!"

Bridget tilted her head to the side and grinned.

"You provoked me, I had no choice. Anyway, to get back on topic, I've brought something for you."

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? What would that be?" he asked.

Bridget pulled her ribbon into view and took Alistair's wrist in her hand.

"I had only just realized that I had not given this back to you." She said as she tied it around his wrist firmly.

Alistair smiled at the familiar ribbon…but his smile began to fade as his thoughts returned.

"Something wrong?" Bridget asked.

Alistair looked at her.

"You can read me like a book, can't you?" he asked.

Bridget smiled.

"Indeed I can. What's troubling you love?" she asked.

Alistair sighed and took her hand in his.

"Victus and I spoke again yesterday, later at night while you were off with Fergus. He…mentioned some troubling things and I…I think what he said may have some truth."

Bridget furrowed her brow.

"What kind of troubling things?" she asked slowly.

Alistair swallowed and looked into her questioning gaze.

"I may have unknowingly…lain with Morrigan. It's a little fuzzy but…I think she came to me and told me if I did that you would survive…but from this I…I…we…"

Bridget put a finger to Alistair's lips.

"I know." She whispered.

Alistair's eyes widened.

"So…I…_we…_"

Bridget nodded.

"Yes. Before the battle, Morrigan explained everything to me. I believe she felt guilty for not telling me in the first place. She said she couldn't allow me to die when she had a way to prevent it. She did not think that you would remember her offer…but it appears that you have. Morrigan _saved_ me, Alistair. She saved _us_."

A long silence stretched between the two of them as they stared into each other's gaze. Alistair smiled and caressed the side of Bridget's cheek.

"I never thought I would be grateful to Morrigan for something but…I find myself very grateful to her now."

Bridget smiled and placed her hand atop his. Alistair drew his brows together.

"But it does not bother you that she and I made a child?"

Bridget closed her eyes and sighed.

"There was no other way I could have survived, Alistair. It does not bother me because I know that I owe my life to Morrigan…and she truly wanted that child so…"

She trailed off and shook her head.

"Besides, I know that we will have our own children, eventually."

Alistair nodded and leaned closer to her.

"I cannot wait for that day." He whispered before claiming her mouth in a heated kiss.

Bridget kissed him back slowly, smiling as she felt his hand sneak up beneath her dress.

"Stocking's again?" he groaned.

Bridget chuckled and fished for his hand beneath her dress. She slid it up a little further until his hand spread itself against her bare thigh.

"Thigh highs, my dear. You like those if I recall correctly."

Alistair blushed and cleared his throat.

"Well…I said before I am a weak man!" he exclaimed.

Bridget grinned devilishly.

"You think you are weak now…just wait until tonight. I plan to use all of that extra stamina I have _riding_ you senseless."

Alistair's blush grew deeper as he chuckled.

"Now who's the one thinking sinful thoughts?" he asked.

Bridget shrugged and stood, planting one last kiss on his lips as she did so.

"We will continue this conversation later…as I must go and take my seat in the main hall. I love you, Alistair."

Alistair stood and kissed her softly.

"I love you too."

Bridget smiled and left the room, swaying her hips as usual. Alistair grinned as he watched her disappear down the hall and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly and ran his hand along the side of his hair as he checked his clothes in the mirror one last time before a knock sounded at his door. His manservant, Byron appeared in the doorway and bowed.

"It is time, my lord." He stated.

Alistair nodded and turned back to the mirror as Byron placed the heavy cape atop his shoulders. Alistair hooked the buckle that would hold the cape together and briefly noted that it was shaped like a mabari's head.

Byron smiled.

"I believe you will make a fine king, my lord." He stated.

Alistair chuckled.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence…I'm a tad nervous about facing all of those nobles today. I have to give a speech that I haven't given any thought to…I hope I can come up with something under their scrutiny. I know that there are some who do not think I should be on the throne…"

Byron shook his head.

"To those who think that you must turn your cheek to. The number of nobles who do not favor you is nowhere near the numbers that do, my lord. Remember that." He said.

Alistair smiled and turned to the elderly man. He shook his hand.

"Thank you, Byron. I'll keep that in mind."

Byron bowed gracefully.

"You are most welcome, sir."

Alistair took a deep breath and exited the room, walking briskly down the hallway. At the doors to the main hall, the guards standing there stood to at attention and bowed their heads to him.

Alistair licked his lips nervously as he heard the horns blow from inside the main hall. His stomach twisted itself into a knot as the doors opened. Alistair swallowed and slowly began to walk forward. His eyes swept over the crowded room as he slowly made his way towards the dais where Eamon and Grand Cleric Alexandra stood. With each step he took, Alistair's stomach grew tighter. He searched frantically over all of the faces in the room…and finally caught Bridget's blue eyes in his. She smiled at him warmly…causing all of his nerves to slip away. Once Alistair reached the dais, he climbed the steps and knelt before Eamon and Alexandra.

"Today we bear witness to a new king, a new reign, and possibly a new age." Alexandra stated proudly. Eamon nodded and withdrew a long sword with an ornate handle. He held it above his head for all of the nobles to see.

"This sword has been passed down from king to king in the Therin bloodline. Maric wielded this sword against his enemies as Cailan wielded it against the forsaken Darkspawn. With this sword, I shall name the next king of Fereldan."

Eamon stepped forward to Alistair and touched each shoulder with the tip of the blade.

"Alistair Therin, son of Maric and brother to Cailan, do you accept the responsibility of your office and the consequences that may come with it?"

"Yes." Alistair replied.

Eamon took a step back as Alexandra stepped forward, carrying The Chant in her hands. Alistair reached up and placed his hand on the large book with the Chantry's symbol emblazoned on the leather cover.

"Alistair Therin, do you swear to rule this land with honesty, kindness, and all the rest of the Maker's virtues and commandments?" she asked.

Alistair nodded.

"I do."

Alexandra stepped back as Eamon stepped forward, holding in his hands the golden crown that both Alistair's father and half-brother previously wore. The crown itself was not very large, but was made of pure gold. In it's center was the mabari's head again, signifying the proud nature a king should have for his country. Eamon gently placed the crown atop Alistair's head as Alexandra recited the Chant, blessing Alistair's reign. Once she was finished Eamon stepped back.

"Good people of Fereldan, I present to you your new king. All hail King Alistair!" he shouted.

Alistair stood and turned to look at all of the nobility in the room, now his subjects, bowing graciously in the presence of their new king. His friends cheered for him as they all dropped into bows and curtsies. Although he could not see Bridget's face since she kept her head bowed in respect, he had a feeling she was grinning ear to ear. Alistair smiled and held up his hands so that the cheering would quiet down.

Alistair swallowed and took a deep breath.

"Friends, I assure you that while I am king, I will try my best to bring Fereldan to a new age…perhaps even a golden age. I will try to improve as many things as I can…but...I cannot say that I will be doing this all by myself…for there is another who will help me bring Fereldan to a new height."

Everyone looked at each other quizzically. Alistair turned his gaze back to Bridget and held out his hand. She smiled and placed her hand in his gracefully, walking forward to stand beside him.

"This remarkable, amazing woman stopped the Blight. She saved all of our lives, our land, our _home_. And…she just so happens to be my fiancée. In this woman you will have the kindest, most honest, beautiful queen. My love…I think we should all be bowing to _you_." He stated.

Bridget swallowed the lump in her throat as Alistair knelt before her and the rest of the nobles in the room did the same. A moment later they rose and Alistair hooked Bridget's arm under his. The horns sounded again as they walked out of the main hall and towards the dining hall where a great feast would be held. Bridget smiled up at Alistair.

"I rather liked your speech." She whispered softly.

Alistair chuckled.

"I thought you might, does that get me some type of reward?"

Bridget threw her head back and laughed.

"Well…I am sure you won't find yourself disappointed later tonight, if that's what you mean."

The rest of the festivities were absolutely wonderful. Although Alistair spent most of the night speaking with other nobles, he did get to enjoy a few dances with Bridget, and got to watch as she danced with Zevran, Teagan, and even Eamon. Just as Bridget predicted, most of everyone enjoyed the wine that was distributed throughout the celebration, as Alistair noticed everyone seemed to have extra color to their cheeks. Victus and Leliana were so tipsy they sang an old Orlesian tune (terribly off key) cracking nearly everyone else up that was in the room. Zevran figured he should take Leliana away from the festivities then, and bid Alistair a good night, placing his arm around his love and guiding her towards the exit. The room soon began to thin of its occupants and Alistair noticed Bridget smiling at him from across the room. She winked at him before slowly walking out of the room as well, swaying those tantalizing hips. Alistair turned to Eamon, who clearly had had his share of wine for the evening and said,

"Is it alright if I retire now? I think I've spoken with just about everyone."

Eamon turned to him, rosy cheeks and all and nodded.

"Hmm…oh yes, yes m'boy, _hic_, I think you are free to, _hic_, sleep for now."

Alistair nodded and bid a goodnight to him and Isolde and walked as fast as he could without anyone noticing his quick step, out of the room and into the dark hallway. He saw Bridget in the distance, leaning up against the stone wall, pushing her chest forward a bit. Alistair grinned and hurried towards her, only to have her slip away before he made it there. He followed her once again down another hallway and witnessed her slip behind the door to his office. Alistair opened the door and stepped inside, closing it quickly behind him. Bridget stood in front of the same window she had the previous day and turned as he stepped forward. She curtsied politely.

"My king…" she purred.

Alistair smiled, anticipation tingling his entire body. He walked forward and touched the side of Bridget's face, trailing his fingers softly down towards her chin and lifting her head up to look at him.

"My queen." He replied.

Bridget smiled.

"Not yet, unfortunately, though I could get used to hearing you say that. No…for tonight I am but your humble, servant, my love."

Alistair shook his head as he pulled her to her feet.

"You are too a queen, my love. You are the queen of my heart." He whispered softly.

Bridget blushed and smiled.

"You say the most wonderful things to me, Alistair. I must reward you in some way." She replied.

Alistair rested his forehead against hers and held her hips firmly in his hands.

"I can certainly think of a few ways I'd like to be rewarded." He stated bashfully.

Bridget slipped her hand in his and grinned.

"Then come with me, my king." She whispered.

Alistair smiled and lifted her in his arms. Bridget rested her head against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Alistair left the room and began to walk down the dark hallway.

"You carry me as if I am your bride." Bridget noted.

Alistair chuckled.

"You will be soon enough, might as well get some practice at it!" he exclaimed.

Bridget laughed as Alistair continued down the hallway, not caring that the palace guards were still up and about and were chuckling and whispering behind their backs. At long last Alistair finally made it to his room…no…_their_ room and opened the door soundlessly. Upon entering, Alistair noticed that a few candles were placed about the room, dimly lighting the surrounding area. He closed the door with his foot and walked inside, taking in the romantic glow of the candles.

"You sure nobody knew I was planning on spending the night with you tonight?" Bridget asked.

Alistair, wondering the very same thing, set Bridget gently to the floor and walked over to his dresser where a small piece of parchment lay. It read:

_Someone told me you would be in need of some…romantic lighting this evening, sir. I hope I have not overstepped my boundaries as your manservant, but the elf was very persistent. Enjoy your evening, your Majesty. _

_-Byron_

Alistair rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Zevran is poisoning the minds of my staff, it appears." He said with a laugh.

Bridget raised her eyebrows as she swept her eyes over the room.

"That's a pretty big bed, Alistair." She noted.

Alistair removed the crown from his head and placed it on the nearby velvet pillow resting atop the dresser.

"A bed fit for a king…" He replied as he began to unfasten the hook to his cape. He did so and draped it over a nearby chair, then sat in said chair to remove his boots. He quickly took care of that and moved to stand behind her. Alistair wrapped his arms securely around Bridget's waist and bent down to her ear.

"And his queen…" he whispered.

Bridget turned around in his arm and grinned as Alistair lifted her once again. He gently lowered her to the large bed and smiled as he lowered himself to her and kissed her slowly…

_xXx_

Bridget nuzzled up next to Alistair, wearing a grin that reminded him of a very satisfied cat. She propped herself up on her arm and drew small circles on his chest with the tip of her finger. She glanced up at him to see that his face was still deeply flushed.

"Did you enjoy that, my love?"

Alistair looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Honestly, when I asked you if you had ever…'licked a lamppost', I wasn't trying to allude to anything but…um…to answer your question…I enjoyed it very much…perhaps a little _too_ much." He replied bashfully.

Bridget threw her head back and laughed as she hooked her leg over his.

"I told you that you wouldn't find yourself disappointed this evening." She whispered against his ear before she flicked it with her tongue.

Alistair chuckled and turned his head to face her. She stared back at him, her face still flushed and her eyes halfway closed, but smiling none the less.

"It is a pity you actually _did _have to rip my corset…I happened to like that one…it was rather pretty."

Alistair's blush deepened.

"Well, those strings were really tight and…you know I tangled them all into one giant knot trying to remove it the proper way…I'm going to have to practice untying those laces." He stated.

Bridget giggled softly before she sighed happily and asked,

"How long do you think it will take to plan the wedding?"

Alistair grinned and held the side of her face in his hand.

"I really hope it doesn't take too long…I'm not sure if I can survive being alone in this large bed for very long…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows and moved herself over him, leaning in and kissing him slowly. She pulled back and smiled.

"Well…I suppose I'll just have to keep making love to you tonight to hold you over then, won't I?"

Alistair ran his hands down her sides and rested them at her hips.

"I think that is a marvelous idea." He stated.

Bridget lowered her mouth to his once more, and claimed Alistair's lips in a deep, loving kiss.

**A/N: **_Another chapter done! I hope you all really enjoyed this chapter! We're nearing the end, folks…but we're not there just yet. Next chapter is the one that most of you have been waiting for a really long time, and it's one I've been itching to write since I started this fic! Yep, you guessed it…Alistair and Bridget's wedding is coming up next chapter! I'll try and have it posted as soon as I can! Thanks again to all of you for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites/alerts! I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as possible! :)_


	61. Chapter 60: The Wedding

Chapter 60

The Wedding

The months that followed after Alistair's coronation were slow in passing. Alistair, not to anyone's surprise, was having a hard time adjusting to all that was to be accomplished during the day. For hours he would sit atop the throne and listen to Denerim's citizens ask for grants or money to help with their farms or market stands. Alistair truly wanted to help everyone he could, but was carefully advised by Eamon that some peddlers did not deserve the money they asked for. One merchant even presented Alistair with a mabair hound, Lola. He accepted the hound on Zeus's behalf as the poor dog was love struck right from the beginning…though it appeared Lola wouldn't give him the time of day. If Alistair wasn't sitting on the throne he was in his office buried in piles and piles of paperwork. Thankfully though this is where Bridget helped him the most, and when both of them were at it, the scrolls did not occupy his desk for very long. While Alistair and Bridget tended to the paperwork and what not, they also had to mediate the arguments between Eamon and Leliana in regards to their wedding. Eamon would want things to go one way (albeit a much simpler way) while Leliana wanted to go completely extravagant (blowing nearly all of the castle's funds in the process). Eventually, Bridget had to step in and make a compromise that she figured both Eamon and Leliana could settle to.

"Why don't you let Eamon handle the actual ceremony whilst you and I work together on finding me a wedding dress?"

Eamon brightened.

"I think that's a splendid idea." He agreed.

Leliana crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Of course _you_ would. I suppose if that's where you really want me, Bridget, than I will help you. I do however want to manage the decorations."

Alistair looked at Eamon and held his breath.

"That okay with you?" he asked.

The older man nodded.

"Yes, you're Majesty. With both of us finally coming to a compromise, the wedding should take place within the coming weeks."

Alistair sighed in relief and sat back behind his desk. Eamon bid farewell and exited the room, whilst Leliana followed him out saying,

"I'll go ahead and start sending letters to all of the dressmakers to see about getting some of their designs. I'll let you know once I've found anything."

Bridget walked towards the door with her.

"Nothing _too_ extravagant now, Leliana." She called after her.

Leliana chuckled.

"I make no promises!"

Bridget sighed and closed the door, resting her back up against it and shaking her head. Alistair rested his elbows on his desk and held his chin in his hands.

"You'd think with the way those two were going at it they were two opposing officials!" he exclaimed.

Bridget chuckled and walked over towards him. Alistair sat back in his chair and held out his arms so Bridget could settle herself on his lap, which she did. Bridget kissed him softly before pulling back and grinning widely.

"Just a few weeks left, my love! I'm so excited!" she exclaimed.

Alistair held her tightly in his arms.

"As am I. I think you're really going to like your wedding present." He stated.

The ring that he had commissioned was in its final stages of being made and would arrive at the palace any day now. Bridget raised her eyebrows and ran a finger down his chest.

"And just what is this present that you've gotten me?" she asked.

Alistair smiled and shook his head.

"Not telling. You'll just have to wait and see."

She frowned slightly before a sly grin took its place.

"Is there anything I can do to persuade you to tell me?" she whispered against his ear before biting it playfully.

Alistair drew his brows together and shuddered in delight. Once again because of the Grand Cleric residing in the palace for the wedding, Alistair and Bridget had been forced to sleep apart again, though there were some nights that she was able to slip away…but it did not happen very often. Not as often as Alistair would have liked, at any rate.

"Trust me my love; there are _plenty_ of things you could do to persuade me…it's already starting to work now…but the Grand Cleric…"

Bridget rested her finger against his lips and smiled at him wickedly.

"The Grand Cleric can stuff cotton in her ears if we're too loud. I miss you, Alistair…it's been such a long time since we last made love…what was it two months ago?"

She returned her lips to his neck and nuzzled his skin there. Alistair closed his eyes and lowered his hands to Bridget's hips as she shifted atop his lap so that she straddled his waist.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to hear you say that!" he chuckled.

Bridget moved her kisses back to Alistair's lips and claimed them in a heated kiss. She let her tongue slowly stroke her lover's.

"Oh it appears I've come in at a bad time."

Bridget and Alistair broke the kiss and turned to the doorway where Zevran stood calmly, a seductive smile on his lips.

Alistair sighed and looked at him.

"Is it very important?" he asked in a tight voice.

Zevran nodded.

"Yes I am afraid so, and my dear Leliana wishes to speak to you, my Warden."

Bridget looked back at Alistair and placed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"I'll be back later." She stated before removing herself from his lap and walking past Zevran. He chuckled.

"Oh my dear Bridget there is no need for that red face of yours! I have seen a passionate kiss a time or two!" he exclaimed.

Bridget chuckled softly before exiting the room and closing the door behind her. Zevran looked at Alistair and grinned as he settled himself in a chair in front of the desk.

"We have not had much time to talk since your coronation, my friend. How does it feel to be king?"

Alistair sighed and shook his head.

"It's not very fun, if that's what you want to know. I had no idea some of these places were so destitute…my first and foremost priority is to set the Alienage straight, help them rebuild and what not…but then Eamon goes on about how there are more important things…really the only thing that makes it bearable is Bridget." He explained.

Zevran nodded.

"Yes I am sure all that is very difficult…but you are no doubt looking forward to your impending wedding, yes?" he asked.

Alistair smiled.

"Honestly Zevran I can't wait for it, knowing that I can finally call Bridget my wife…and have her next to me in the night…I want these weeks to go by as quickly as possible."

Zevran grinned.

"I am sure. Have you thought about having a…party perhaps?"

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Zevran raised his eyebrows.

"Oh you know…one last night as a free man? You, Oghren, Fergus and I could all get together and go to the Pearl…perhaps?"

Alistair's eyes widened.

"Why the hell would I want to go to the brothel the night before my wedding?!" he exclaimed.

Zevran shrugged.

"You know, it's your last night as a free man, I thought you may want to try fondling someone else's breasts before you are tied to Bridget for life."

Alistair gaped at him.

"You're joking…right?" he asked.

Zevran burst into a laughing fit and nodded.

"Yes, yes I am, I just wanted to see the look on your face! Although Oghren, Fergus and I _will_ be going to the Pearl, I did want to see if you would like to join in…though I do have another reason for stopping by today."

Alistair relaxed a bit in his chair and studied Zevran curiously.

"What for…?" he asked warily.

Zevran chuckled.

"Nothing bad I assure you, in fact, I wish to give you a wedding present!" he exclaimed.

Alistair smiled, never one to turn away a gift, he sat up a little.

"You didn't really have to get me a gift, Zevran." He said.

Zevran removed a small package from his pocket and grinned.

"Think of it as some advice, then." He stated.

Alistair furrowed his brow; a little confused by Zevran's remark, but removed the gift paper none the less. He opened it to reveal a small black book entitled: _A King's Woes_. Alistair stared at it for a brief moment before looking up at Zevran.

"Err…thanks. What's it supposed to be about?" he asked.

Zevran chuckled again and shook his head.

"Remove that cover and you will see." He stated.

Alistair shook the small book out of the black cover. He picked the book back up in his hands and his eyes widened at the cover image. It was a _very_ suggestive picture of a man and a woman underneath the actual title: _Secrets of the Bedroom…never leave her unsatisfied again!_

Alistair quickly tossed the book back at Zevran.

"Why the hell would you get me an erotic novel as a wedding present!" he shouted.

Zevran held his hands up and shook his head.

"Alistair you misunderstand my good intentions! I am doing this to help you, truly!"

Alistair blushed furiously and gaped at the elf.

"How is _that_ going to help anything?" he asked.

Zevran sat back in his chair as Alistair did the same. He tilted his head to the side and cleared his throat.

"I want to make sure that you continue to please our Warden throughout your long years of marriage to come…and you won't do that by using the same position every time you make love."

Alistair opened his mouth to retort, but closed it and furrowed his brow.

"What are you talking about? We use plenty of…positions." He replied.

Zevran crossed his arms.

"I wouldn't call having her ride you or having her under you 'plenty', my friend. You need to spice things up a little bit, and this book will help you do that. See look, there's plenty of descriptions in here, everything from mabari style to,"

Alistair shook his head.

"Wait, wait, wait…how did you know that those are the only two that we use…which they _aren't_ by the way!"

Zevran furrowed his brow for a second before he snapped his fingers.

"Oh yes you recently received the 'lamppost' treatment for the first time…I had forgotten,"

Alistair's blush deepened.

"How did you know that?" he asked.

Zevran cleared his throat.

"Well…the women talk amongst themselves as I'm sure you know…and Bridget told these things to Leliana…which she in turn told me. Now Bridget did not intend for Leliana to do so as I'm sure she told her these things in confidence, but Leliana also wishes to make sure that her friend is…taken care of in the years to come."

Alistair drew his brows together and slumped forward a bit.

"I didn't realize she was getting bored…"

Zevran shook his head.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, my friend! She loves you to the ends of Thedas and back…all Bridget wants is to be a little more adventurous, but she didn't know how to ask you…so that's when Leliana and I formed this lovely plan and here we are now."

Alistair was quiet for a long moment before he looked at Zevran quizzically.

"What exactly is in that book?" he asked.

Zevran grinned and placed the book back on the desk.

"All sorts of things, I even added a few notes myself, that way you can give her some extra pleasure! Trust me, Alistair, study over some of these moves and spring them on Bridget on your wedding night and you will find yourself and your heart's desire _very, very_ pleased."

Alistair slowly took the small book back in his hands and replaced it with the other cover.

"I guess I should thank you…" he mumbled bashfully.

Zevran chuckled.

"No need, Alistair. I suppose I will see you later, for now I will let you read."

Alistair looked at Zevran and smiled.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you." He stated.

Zevran turned and nodded.

"Anything at all, my friend." He replied.

Alistair stood and walked over to Zevran.

"As you know Bridget and mine's wedding is just around the corner…but I don't have anyone to stand beside me as my best man. Would you consider filling that position?" he asked.

Zevran's eyes widened.

"You…you would ask _me_ of all people?" he asked, surprised.

Alistair chuckled.

"Why not? If it wasn't for your pushing…Bridget and I may not even be together now. What do you say?"

Zevran grinned and bowed.

"It would be the greatest honor, your Majesty. Truly…I cannot express my feelings,"

Alistair held up his hands.

"You don't have to. Thank you, Zevran…for everything."

Zevran bowed again and headed towards the door.

"You are most welcome, Alistair. You know…back when we were in the Brecilian forest and I told you that if you didn't claim Bridget, I would?"

Alistair nodded. Zevran shook his head.

"I never would have. I could tell already that there was something between you two…something that wasn't quite yet love, but was stronger than just a simple attraction or lust. In the end, Bridget would have chosen you anyway, my friend."

Alistair smiled and watched as Zevran left the room, closing the door behind him. He returned to his desk and picked up the book and opened the first page. He began to read through the introduction and then made it to the first chapter…his face reddening with each turn of the page.

_xXx_

Bridget followed Leliana down the hallway as the bard chatted about different things, all centering around the wedding. She often remarked on how she hoped Eamon could handle it all, and hoped that he wouldn't make it boring and stuffy. Bridget reassured her friend several times that Eamon was perfectly suited for the job as she reminded her how wonderful Alistair's coronation was handled.

"If you say so. At least there's not a lot left to do since somehow we managed to get most of the ceremony planned during the month. I sent those letters out earlier just like I said, so we should be receiving some sketches for wedding gowns fairly soon. Right now though, I have a few things I want to give you!"

Bridget raised her eyebrows as she followed Leliana into one of the many sitting rooms. She shook her head.

"Lel, you didn't have to buy me anything! You're already doing so much, managing the decorations and being my maid of honor…you really didn't have to go out and buy me something on top of all of that!" she exclaimed.

Leliana shook her head.

"Oh yes I did, and I don't think you _or_ Alistair will be disappointed in my selection. Go on, open one of them up!"

There were a few wrapped boxes resting on the nearby table. Bridget opened up the largest one first and gasped at the gift that lay on the inside. It was a very fine silk robe that was pure white in color and had gold and silver thread sewn into it making different designs of flowers and leaves.

"Leliana…this is exquisite! But…it must have cost you at least a handful of gold pieces, if not more." She stated.

Leliana shook her head.

"Not at all, I had these especially made for you by my old seamstress back in Orlais. I got a wonderful discount, I assure you. No one else has a robe like this, however. It is a special order."

Bridget smiled and hugged Leliana tightly. She chuckled.

"Don't thank me yet! You've still got this other one to open…it goes with the robe." She said.

Bridget giggled and opened up the other box before flushing slightly.

"Oh my…" she whispered as she removed the garment (if you could call it that) from the box. Holding it up by the fire, the material was completely see-through.

"Leliana…is this a piece of lingerie?" she asked.

The bard giggled and nodded.

"Yes, once again a special order. I realized you didn't have any and every bride to be needs at least one piece, luckily for you though I have others for you in the other box, but this one is especially for your wedding night. Look, it even comes with a little veil for you to wear."

Bridget chuckled and shook her head as she folded the sheer garment back up.

"Just seeing me in that will give poor Alistair a nosebleed!" she exclaimed.

Leliana grinned and shook her head.

"Maybe not…but I can definitely tell you that his lower half will appreciate seeing you in it, I'm sure!"

Bridget threw her head back and laughed. She hugged Leliana tightly.

"Thank you, Lel. For everything!"

Leliana nodded.

"It was my pleasure! Oh and I sent an invitation to Wynne back at the Circle. She said she wouldn't miss your wedding for the world!"

Bridget smiled.

"It'll be good to have Wynne back, at least for a little while. Maybe she could tell me which mages study fertility since Alistair and I will have to start thinking about that after the wedding."

Leliana drew her brows together.

"I would wait a little before you start thinking about children, Bridget. I mean…you and Alistair should have some time to yourself for a little while. Before we never really truly got to relax because of constant fear of being ambushed, but now since both of you are in such a comfortable place…take the time to enjoy it, that's what I would do." She stated.

Bridget sighed and shook her head.

"That's what I want to do as well…but I know there will be pressure for us to have a baby as soon as possible…if it even _is_ possible." She replied softly.

Leliana placed her hand on her shoulder and shook her head.

"It will happen, Bridget. I'm sure of it."

Bridget thanked Leliana once again and with her help, carried the boxes to her room. There, Leliana bid her a goodnight and went on to see if any responses had come regarding Bridget's wedding dress. Bridget laid against her mattress and sighed. Although she shouldn't be concerned with the idea of pregnancy at the moment…that was really all she could think of lately. A few of her old…acquaintances were already mothers now…and some were even pregnant with their second or third child. Bridget placed her hands on her stomach as she looked down. She wondered briefly if she would ever know what it felt like to carry a baby inside her…to give birth to hers and Alistair's child. She chuckled softly to herself, thinking that if she and Alistair were ever blessed with a baby that they would certainly be the blondest child in all of Fereldan. Bridget stood at the sound of scratching at her door and walked over to find Zeus staring up at her with sad eyes. She looked behind him to see Lola strut away proudly, leaving behind the dead bird she guessed Zeus had bestowed upon her. Zeus whined. Bridget looked down at him and shook her head.

"Don't give up hope, boy. You'll win her over eventually."

Zeus snorted and trotted inside, settling himself at the foot of Bridget's bed. Bridget chuckled and scratched his ears.

"She'll come around, I promise."

Bridget slipped out of her dress and pulled on her night gown. She slipped on her robe and exited the room, remembering that she needed to wish Alistair a goodnight. Outside his office she knocked on the door gently before opening it. Alistair quickly shoved something into his desk and folded his hands in front of his lap. He smiled at her.

"Hello sweetie." He said in a cracked voice.

Bridget raised her eyebrows as she noted his red face.

"Hello to you too…I was coming to wish you a good night….why is your face so red?"

Alistair raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

"Um…just frustrated with all of this…paperwork is all." He replied.

Bridget crossed her arms noting that Alistair's desk only had about three scrolls on it, but decided to drop the subject and shook her head. She walked over towards him and bent down to place a kiss on his lips. Bridget kissed him softly, slowly, letting her tongue run across his bottom lip. It was just enough to distract him so she could slip her hand into the drawer and pull out whatever it was he put in there before, which she did. Bridget jumped back and giggled as she looked down at the book. She frowned.

"Why are you reading _A King's Woes_? This has got to be the most boring piece of literature to ever be published!" she exclaimed.

Alistair cleared his throat and stood.

"Oh believe me it's _far_ from boring…" he mumbled.

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"And here I thought you were reading something naughty what with your red face and all. Is there any steamy bits in here?"

She was just about to open up the book when Alistair took it from her hands and set it back on the desk.

"Actually…there's this one part where the king takes his fiancée in his arms and makes mad, passionate love to her atop his desk…"

Bridget's lips curved up into a smile.

"Oh there is, is there? She said as Alistair wrapped his arms around her waist.

Alistair chuckled and kissed her slowly. He pulled away and grinned.

"We could always reenact that scene now if you like…we are in an office after all…and you just so happen to be the fiancée to a king…"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"That _does_ sound very tempting. Just what exactly did this king do to his betrothed?"

Alistair smiled and trailed his fingers down Bridget's arms, heading for the tie to her robe.

"Well at first he removed some of her clothes…then he kissed her deeply, all while backing her up towards his desk. Then when she couldn't go any further, he lifted her on top of his desk and had his way with her…"

Bridget shrugged her robe off of her shoulders and pressed herself up against Alistair's form.

"Hmm that sounds like it would be a lot of fun." She purred.

Alistair lowered his face to hers and kissed her slowly, running his hands down her back and towards her bottom where he squeezed. Bridget jumped a little bit in surprise, but then smiled against his lips and deepened the kiss. Alistair gently lifted Bridget into his arms and walked towards his desk where he set her there. Alistair held her chin in his hand and kissed her softly as his other hand slid down the side of her neck and shoulder. He slowly eased down the strap to her nightshift, exposing her breasts to the room. Alistair pulled back slightly and took a moment to admire his fiancée's bosom, causing her to roll her eyes.

"A man's obsession with a woman's breasts will always be a mystery to me." She noted.

Alistair chuckled and returned his lips back to her, at her neck this time. He dropped his hand to her right breast and held it in his hand, making a noise in the back of his throat at the softness of her skin. There was a knock at the door then and before either of them could register what it was, the door flew open and Teagan walked into the room.

"Alistair, Bridget's engagement…oh dear Maker!"

A scroll flew up in front of his eyes as he also shut them tight. Alistair blushed furiously as he quickly pulled Bridget's nightshift back up her shoulders. She suppressed a giggle as he stood in front of her while she put her robe back on.

"I had no idea that…well that _this_ was going on I…please forgive me…"

Bridget, still trying not to laugh at the situation shook her head.

"It's perfectly fine, Teagan. Alistair should know that an office isn't the right venue for certain activities."

Alistair gapped at her.

"I didn't hear any complaints coming out of your mouth, miss!" he exclaimed.

Bridget chuckled and hit him playfully in the arm. She then turned her attention back to Teagan.

"You can open your eyes now, Teagan. All is well. Did you say you had something for me?"

Teagan slowly removed the scroll from his face and cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Err…well yes but…not exactly…"

Alistair shook his head.

"It's alright Teagan; if you have it with you I'll go ahead and see to it now." He replied.

Bridget furrowed her brow and looked at him quizzically. Teagan nodded and retrieved a small box from the pile of stuff he dropped on the floor when he came in. He handed it to Alistair, cleaned up his mess and exited the room quickly.

Bridget turned to Alistair and tilted her head to the side.

"What's that you've got there?" she asked softly.

Alistair smiled at her. He placed the box on his desk and took her hands in his.

"I know when two people become engaged that the woman is supposed to wear a ring to signify that…but with everything that happened, I didn't have time to give you one. I did though, have time to meet with a jeweler and help him design it."

Alistair turned back to his desk and picked up the box. He slowly turned back to Bridget and smiled.

"I think you'll really like it." He said softly as he opened the box.

Bridget's eyes widened at the ring that lay on the inside. The ring was pure gold and held a large diamond in the shape of a heart in the center. Above the diamond was a small crown…but it was not the size of the diamond or the encrusting of all the smaller diamonds around it that brought tears to Bridget's eyes. It was the band of the ring. The heart diamond rested in between the beaks of two small birds, one on one side of the gem, the other making the other half of the band. Bridget tipped her head to the side.

"Alistair…are they supposed to be…?"

He nodded.

"Swallows, yes. I remember you telling me about how your father used to compare his and your mother's love to that of a swallow's love for their mate…so I took that in mind when I designed the ring...and like I said before you are the queen to my heart, that's where I got the idea for the little crown above the diamond." He whispered.

Bridget's lip trembled slightly as she felt a tear roll down the side of her face. Alistair smiled and cupped her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs and kissing her softly. He broke the kiss after a minute and removed the ring from the box. He held Bridget's hand in his and looked into her glossy eyes as he slid the ring on her finger.

"I love you, Bridget. I will love you for the rest of my life. I never thought I would meet a woman like you…someone who would complete me…but I did…and I thank the Maker for that every day."

Bridget sniffled slightly and looked down at her ring that sparkled in the glow of the candles.

"This is the best gift that anyone has ever given me, Alistair." She whispered.

Alistair took her in his arms and held her tightly. He stroked her hair and took a deep breath to smell her scent.

"I'm so glad you like it." He replied.

Bridget pulled back and kissed him softly. She smiled and said,

"Would you like me to give you your present now too?"

Alistair smiled.

"If you want."

Bridget slipped her hand into his.

"It's in my room; I've had it sitting there for a while now."

They both quietly slipped out of the office and walked deftly down the dark halls. Soon enough they made it to Bridget's room and both of them slipped inside. Zeus lifted his head and yawned as they entered. Alistair closed the door behind him as Bridget walked over to her dresser. Propped up against it was a large, circular object that was wrapped in gift paper. Bridget picked it up and turned to Alistair, handing it to him.

"I think you'll really like this." She said softly.

Alistair sat on the edge of the bed and removed the gift paper. Beneath the wrapping was a large shield with the Grey Warden's symbol emblazoned on it. Alistair's mouth fell open as he gripped the shield tightly.

"This…this was Duncan's…how did you…?"

Bridget smiled at him.

"Ages ago Riordan mentioned a secret warehouse that the Warden's used for storage right here in Denerim. Not long ago I took Zeus and we searched for it and found it. Riordan told me that one of Duncan's old shields was in there…and I couldn't think of a better gift to give you."

Alistair smiled at her and caressed the side of her cheek.

"This means more to me than I can possibly say, Bridget. Thank you."

Bridget turned her cheek into his hand and kissed his palm. Alistair set the shield back on the floor and looked at her.

"You know now that I am here…I don't want to leave." He whispered.

Bridget tipped her head to the side.

"I wouldn't mind if you stayed…but I think our wedding night would be more special if we waited. It's only a few more weeks away." She stated.

Alistair nodded.

"I think you're right. Goodnight my love." He whispered as he leaned in to kiss her.

Bridget kissed him back and pulled away.

"Goodnight."

She smiled as she watched Alistair leave the room, and saw his shadow beneath the door linger for a few minutes, probably thinking she would change her mind. She chuckled and climbed under the sheets, blowing out the candle and closing her eyes, dreaming of her wedding day.

_xXx_

The following weeks that led up to Bridget and Alistair's wedding passed by at a painfully slow rate, but it gave everyone enough time to make sure everything was in order for the big day. Bridget had chosen a beautiful wedding dress by an older woman who had not been in the business very long. It was elegant, beautiful, but had a simple air about it. Eamon and Leliana finally settled with the other's decisions and were able to plan a ceremony that they were sure would have every noble in Fereldan talking about it into the next year. Alistair paced back and forth in his room whilst Byron was gathering his attire for the day. His nerves were not being merciful to him as he had felt the urge to vomit several times that morning. Honestly he didn't know _why_ he was so nervous…he was marrying the love of his life, he should be the happiest man in all of Thedas right now! Alistair let out a shaky breath as he stared out the nearby window. It was a beautiful day outside, the sun was shining brightly and the flowers were in full bloom, signifying that Bloomingtide was well underway. After staring out at the window for a few minutes, Alistair went back to pacing along the rug, back and forth. Byron raised his bushy grey eyebrows and coughed slightly.

"If I may be so bold, your Majesty…if you keep pacing back and forth like that you will surely wear a hole in that rug."

Alistair swallowed and stilled his feet.

"Forgive me, Byron…is…is it normal to be this nervous on one's wedding day?" he asked.

Byron chuckled.

"I am quite sure I was just as nervous as you were the day I married my Georgina…Maker rest her soul…everything will be fine, Majesty. Just think of when you lay your eyes on her as she begins to walk down the aisle. It is a view you will not forget, I am quite sure."

Alistair smiled, a little at ease with Byron's suggestion and thought just of that as he dressed.

"Bridget wouldn't tell me what her dress looked like, and I've been strictly forbidden from the entire wing of the castle where it was stored. Even Zevran couldn't get past the guards Leliana and Bridget had placed there."

Byron smiled as he hooked the button at Alistair's throat together; it was in the shape of a mabari's head and patted the shoulders of the ivory colored doublet.

"I am sure Lady Cousland will be absolutely stunning, your Majesty."

Byron turned and picked up the smaller crown that Alistair usually wore and placed it atop his head.

Alistair looked at himself in the mirror and pulled down the front of the doublet. He wore a very ornate shirt under the doublet that was also ivory in color, and had gold thread sewn in an intricate pattern at the shoulders. He hooked his belt next that also had a mabari's head at the front. His breeches were a light grey in color and he wore a pair of fine brown leather boots that rested just above his knees. Alistair smiled at his reflection and stood straighter, puffing out his chest slightly.

"If you need anything else, your Majesty, you need only ask. Good luck, sir. Oh and before I forget…would you like me to set out candles again for the evening?"

Alistair grinned and looked over his shoulder.

"Most definitely." He replied.

Byron chuckled and nodded.

"Very well, sir. Until later."

He bowed and exited the room just as Zevran was about to enter. Alistair turned and smiled at him as he entered the room, carrying with him a bottle of wine and two goblets.

"Don't we look lovely in our fine clothes?" He noted as he eyed Alistair.

Alistair chuckled and shook his head.

"I'm pretty much used to it now, though this is the finest outfit I've worn yet, I believe. It's still kind of odd seeing _you_ in noble's clothes, though."

Zevran nodded.

"Indeed, I have no idea how you people can stand to wear this fabric. It's itching me in all of the wrong places, but enough of that. I have yet another treat for you and Bridget later this evening."

Alistair eyed the bottle of wine.

"I take it that is it?" he asked.

Zevran nodded and placed it atop the dresser along with the two goblets.

"Indeed, one of the finest from Antiva. You will both enjoy it I am quite sure, Bridget especially since I'm sure she'll have to…wash down a few things."

Alistair blushed as Zevran cackled in delight.

"Oh I am sorry, Alistair. I had to; I just could not possibly pass that up! Are you ready to head off to the main hall? We should probably be on our way."

Alistair checked himself one last time in the mirror before turning to Zevran and nodding.

"Yes, let's go!" he exclaimed.

_xXx_

Bridget sat at her vanity brushing out her hair whilst Leliana was scrambling behind her trying to collect all the hairpins that Zeus knocked into the floor when he accidentally collided with the end table. He was then sent outside of the room to stand guard, making sure no one tried to get in. Bridget grinned at her reflection as Leliana began to fix her hair.

"Oh my Bridget, you are going to look so beautiful today! I'm sure every man in the audience will want to marry you!" she exclaimed.

Bridget chuckled as she touched the amulet that Alistair gave her with the tips of her fingers.

"Leliana…I'm so excited and nervous and…oh this is the happiest I've been in a really long time! I haven't smiled this much since my father gave me my first sword!"

Leliana giggled as she continued to twist Bridget's hair. Eventually she set the last pin in place and stepped back to admire her handiwork. Bridget looked up at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. Leliana had pulled Bridget's hair back into an extravagant bun, but left two pieces to hang on either side of her face to frame it…and because of the excessive care that her hair had been given the past few days, her tresses managed to curl themselves. Bridget thanked Leliana and then stood to get into her dress. Once that process was finished, Bridget looked at herself in the floor length mirror and had tears spring to her eyes. Her dress was pure white and had a fairly long train at it's end. The sleeves thin straps that revealed just a little bit of the skin of her shoulders before a solid piece of fabric covered about three inches. At the bottom of that fabric the rest of the sleeve began and stretched all the way down to Bridget's feet. The material was sheer, but not quite see-through. On the bodice a gold thread was sewn in an intricate design of swirls and angles that stretched all the way down Bridget's abdomen. A white sash was tied around her waist and it too stretched to the bottom of the dress. Leliana handed Bridget her small bouquet of flowers that consisted of lavender, lilacs, and a few other purple colored flowers that matched up well with Leliana's dress color. There was a knock at the door and Leliana rushed towards it only to find out that it was Fergus.

"Their almost ready in there, you should head on to the main hall." He said to Leliana.

She nodded and hugged Bridget one last time.

"Good luck!" she whispered and then hurried out of the door.

Bridget smiled at Fergus as she turned back around to admire her dress. He picked up her veil and placed it carefully around her bun. The veil itself was beautiful as well. It rested to her mid back and the band around her head was made to look like small flowers. Fergus swept his gaze over his sister and smiled.

"Tis a beautiful dress, sister dear…but I'm not so sure about the color…surely you of all people shouldn't be wearing _white_."

Bridget cut her eyes at him and shook her head.

"Full of jokes are we?" she quipped.

Fergus chuckled and shook his head.

"You know I only tease because I care. Seriously though…mother and father would be so proud of you." He whispered.

Bridget drew her brows together and looked at her feet.

"I wish they were here…I would just love to see the look on mother's face, knowing that I'm about to become queen of Fereldan in the next few minutes."

Fergus grinned as he held out his hand for Bridget to hold while she slipped on her white shoes.

"I'm sure father would have had to fan her, she probably would've fainted." He stated.

Bridget giggled and took her bouquet back in her hands. She looked at herself one last time in the mirror, admiring how her eyes stood out against the kohl that lined them. Her lips were pink like that of a fresh rose, and she had a slight blush to her cheeks. Fergus held out his arm to his sister, looking stately in his deep blue doublet and shirt with black breeches and boots. Bridget hooked her arm underneath his and smiled up at him.

"No going back now, sis. You sure you're ready for domestic life?" he asked.

Bridget grinned and nodded.

"More than ready, brother."

Bridget took a deep breath as they walked forward and out of her room. She swallowed nervously as her stomach began to tighten with each step she took. The stringed instrumental music was getting louder the closer they got to the main hall. Soon enough she and Fergus stood outside the large oak doors. The guards that stood watch smiled and bowed politely to them before retaking their post. Bridget gripped her bouquet tightly in her hand that was shaking just ever so slightly. She let out a breath and relaxed herself.

The stringed music stopped playing their current song and switched to an instrumental version of 'In Uthenera', an elven love song. The large oak doors opened and light spilled onto Bridget and Fergus's forms. They slowly stepped forward as Bridget's heart slammed itself against her rib cage. She smiled as her eyes landed on Alistair standing proudly at the top of the dais. Bridget could tell he was scared to his wits end and smiled even more, to help relax him. As she and Fergus continued down the white carpet, all of the nobles that stood on either side of the rug bowed deeply to her. Bridget noticed a few faces, the rest of her friends, Brother Genetivi, Teagan, Isolde…it seemed like anyone Bridget had ever helped was present for their wedding.

Alistair swallowed as Bridget slowly made her way towards him. There were many times when he found her at her most beautiful, the party with the Dalish, the first night they made love, in the heat of battle, and at the Satinalia celebration. But she completely knocked all of those out of the ring in her wedding gown. Alistair didn't even know if he had ever seen a woman so beautiful before in his life. (There would be another time that Alistair would fine his wife even _more_ beautiful…but he did not know it yet). The way the dress subtly hugged her figure, but leaving so much to the imagination was just perfect. She was perfect…and because she was about to become his wife…he too, was perfect. At long last Bridget stood next to Alistair. Fergus kissed her hand and went to stand next to Leliana, who was off to the side, tears already streaming down her face. Grand Cleric Alexandra stepped forward and stood behind a table that had the Chant resting atop it. The string quartet silenced their instruments for the time being, and the nobles all took their seats once again. The elder woman smiled at them both as she cleared her throat.

"Let us begin with a prayer to the Maker, thanking him for all of his blessings, as this very ceremony is a blessing in itself."

Everyone bowed their heads as Alexandra said a prayer and asked for the Maker's blessing for Alistair's and Bridget's union. While she began to recite the marriage specific part of the Chant, Alistair stared into Bridget's eyes…and smiled warmly. She smiled back at him, her eyes sparkling and her hair gleaming in the sunlight that spilled in through the large windows. Alexandra turned to Alistair and nodded.

"If you would say your vows." She said.

Alistair nodded and took a deep breath. He licked his lips and swallowed.

"On this day, I ask you to be my wife, Bridget Cousland. I ask you to join me in the many adventures life brings us, to enjoy the daybreak of every morning…and the sunset of every evening. From this day forth I vow to love you, to honor you, and to grant your every wish. I vow to nurse you when you are ill…to comfort you when you are sad…and to be by your side until I join the Maker once again. Will you take me?"

Bridget nodded as Zevran stepped forward and handed Alistair her wedding band.

"I do." She whispered.

Alistair grinned and slowly slid the golden band that bound them together, that represented their love for each other onto her finger.

"Then with this ring I wed thee, and promise to honor my vows to you for the rest of my life. Never will I leave your side, never will I stop loving you, and never will I leave you."

Bridget swallowed as a tear escaped her and rolled down her cheek slowly. She held Alistair's hands in hers and took a deep breath to say her vows.

"On this day, I ask you to be my husband, Alistair Therin. I will join you on the adventure that is life and all of its ups and downs. I vow to love you, to honor you, and to be by your side for the rest of my life. Destiny and love brought us together, and no force on Thedas could tear us apart. If you will take me I will gladly follow you wherever you may go. Will you take me?"

Alistair grinned and nodded.

"I do, with all my heart."

Bridget sniffled slightly as she slid the larger golden band onto Alistair's finger. She bit her lip to suppress the squeal of delight she wanted to let out and looked up into those warm honey colored eyes that she fell in love with.

Alexandra said another blessing as a small tiara was placed on Bridget's head, signifying her place as Alistair's queen, and then cleared her throat.

"If any object to this union, now is your chance to speak…or else forever hold your tongue."

Alistair and Bridget didn't have to glance worriedly at the crowd as they knew that everyone was okay with their union. After a moment of silence, save for the occasional sniffle, Alexandra turned her attention back to Bridget and Alistair and smiled.

"By the will of the Maker, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, Majesty."

Alistair grinned and turned to Bridget. He leaned forward just as she did and tilted her head to the side. Alistair rested his hand on the crook of her neck as he claimed Bridget's mouth in a slow, romantic kiss. The nobles broke out into fits of cheers and shouts of good will. The string quartet began to play another song as Alistair and Bridget pulled apart, giggling and smiling at each other. They turned to face the nobles on the ground and in the stands and Bridget hooked her arm under Alistair's. They slowly began to walk back down the aisle and towards the dining hall. Once there, Alistair and Bridget sat at the head table and feasted on a variety of wonderfully cooked meals ranging from chicken and potatoes to cakes and pastries. They spoke briefly with a few nobles who wished them all the luck in the world before Alistair whisked Bridget into the middle of the room to have their first dance. Again the quartet played "In Uthenera", only this time, Leliana accompanied them providing the vocals. Alistair pulled Bridget close to his chest and rested on hand on the small of her back whilst he held her other hand up and out.

"You are so beautiful, my wife." He whispered, her new title tingling against his lips.

Bridget smiled up at Alistair, blushing slightly.

"You are very handsome yourself…my husband." She replied.

They spun around and laughed softly. Alistair rested his forehead against hers and grinned.

"We finally did it! We're married now! I must say I'm already loving every bit of being married to you, my love."

Bridget chuckled and nodded. She kissed him softly before pulling back and whispering,

"Just wait until later tonight…you will not find yourself unsatisfied…my king."

Alistair grinned devilishly and tightened his hold around her.

"Neither will you…my queen."

The weeks leading up to the wedding, Alistair had been reading Zevran's book like it was the Chant itself. He never knew there was so much he and Bridget _hadn't_ done…and intended to pull a few surprises on her later that evening. The hours continued to pass by slowly, which Alistair was unhappy about. All he wanted to do was carry Bridget up to their room and have his wicked way with her. At this point he lost count of exactly how many nobles he had talked to, but often looked up to see Bridget in the distance smiling at him albeit a little wickedly. He caught her gaze after speaking to Eamon briefly and noted that she ate the strawberry that she was holding in a rather suggestive manner; there she went teasing him again! Blast it all but he wanted to drag her away then and there! At long last the nobles began to return to their own estates. Eamon looked over at Alistair and made his way towards him, clearing his throat when he stood close enough. Alistair turned and looked at him, drawing his brows together.

"Can I leave yet?" he asked.

Eamon chuckled and nodded.

"Yes, Alistair…I believe you are free to start your wedding night." He replied.

Alistair grinned and quickly strode over to where Bridget was talking to Fergus.

"So my baby sister is now the queen of Fereldan! That must entitle me to some perks, yes?" he chuckled.

Bridget smiled and shook her head.

"You never change. Thank you so much for escorting me, Fergus. You don't know how much that meant to me."

Fergus hugged her and smiled.

"Anything for you, sister…now I must take my leave as I am rather tired after today's events and your husband looks like he wants to rip your dress off of you right where you stand. Goodnight!"

Bridget chuckled and turned to find Alistair standing behind her, blushing furiously.

"Maker do I really look like I want to do that? Which I mean don't get me wrong, I _do_ well…not literally rip your dress, it is pretty after all and,"

Bridget placed a finger to his lips and shook her head.

"Fergus was just teasing, my love. I've noticed that the nobles are starting to leave…and I saw you speaking with Eamon just moments ago. I take it we're free to retire for the evening?"

Alistair grinned and nodded.

"Yes, most definitely." He replied.

Bridget smiled.

"Wonderful. Why don't you head to our room…I'm going to make a quick run to my room and I'll join you there in just a few minutes." She stated.

Alistair, not sure why Bridget would have to stop at her room, furrowed his brow but nodded anyway.

"Right, meet you there!" he whispered.

Alistair smiled as he turned and walked quickly towards the exit and down the hall. After going up the few flights of stairs he barged into his room and immediately set off to removing his shirt. He removed the belt and doublet with care and draped them over the nearby chair along with his shirt. Alistair then sat to remove his boots and made quick work of them. He then poured some of the wine that Zevran had given him into the two goblets and then sat in his chair, running a hand through his hair as he did so. Alistair removed the little black book from it's hiding place to scan over a few pages while he waited for Bridget. He wanted to make sure that he knew exactly what he was doing when he set out to ravish her body and soul…but he quickly stuffed it back underneath the chair cushion when he heard a knock at the door. He was on his feet in a matter of seconds and hurried to the door and opened it. Alistair turned to cast his eyes on her and smiled warmly as he took in her figure. Bridget wore a long, silken robe that stretched all the way to her feet. It had many intricate designs sewn into it and hugged her curves in all the right places. Alistair also noticed that she wore a small veil atop her head. It was not the one she wore during their wedding, however. Perhaps it went along with her robe?

Before she could step inside the room, Alistair closed the space between them and lifted her into his arms. He carried her over the threshold and kicked the door shut with his foot before spinning around the room about three times, setting her to her feet.

Bridget giggled but then shook her head as she tried to become somewhat serious.

"Husband." She said seductively as she nodded towards him.

Alistair and took her into his arms. Hedipped his head to hers.

"Wife." He whispered against her lips before claiming them in a slow, romantic kiss. Bridget smiled against his lips and slipped her tongue out, probing his lips only for a second before Alistair opened his mouth wider for their tongues to meet again at last. They stroked each other slowly, as if getting to know one another again. Bridget pulled her head back and broke the kiss, taking in a deep breath of air as she did so. Alistair breathed out, his breath tickling her lips as he pulled back slightly, enough for Bridget to run her hands down his chest. Alistair ran his hands down her sides and hips. Bridget noted the redness in his face and tipped her head to the side.

"Something wrong? You're not nervous are you? I mean…I'd say we're two seasoned pros at this old sport by now…wouldn't you?"

Alistair laughed heartily and shook his head.

"Oh no, I'm not nervous, I was just thinking that well…perhaps we should try a few new things tonight?"

Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? What kinds of new things, I wonder?" she purred.

Alistair gave her that lopsided grin that she fell in love with and made his way towards the dresser.

"That is for me to know and for you to find out. First, however, I want to have a toast." He said.

Alistair handed her one of the goblets as he took the other one. He turned to look at her and grinned.

"To celebrating the beginning of the rest of our lives together." He whispered before clinking his glass to hers. Bridget smiled and took a few sips of the wine. Alistair placed his glass on the end table next to the bed and turned back to her. Bridget placed hers back on the dresser.

"Why don't you sit on the edge of the bed there, my love?" she asked.

Alistair, not sure what she was up to but very eager to find out, did as she asked and sat on the end of the bed. Bridget turned her back to him and slowly began to pull at the laces that held her robe together, looking over her shoulder at her eager husband.

"I think you're going to be very pleased with my…outfit of choice." She stated.

Alistair grinned sheepishly.

"If by outfit you mean absolutely nothing but your bare skin then yes I will be very pleased." He replied.

Bridget smirked and pulled at the last string before she slowly lowered one side of the robe off of her shoulder.

"Well…I am not _completely _bare…I do have a little something on…but that doesn't mean that you will find yourself disappointed."

Alistair's eyes widened as Bridget dropped the rest of the robe. It pooled at her feet, leaving her completely exposed to his thirsty eyes…and boy did they drink up the sight before him. He was already partly aroused already from the excitement of it all and the few pages he read in that book…but seeing Bridget before him now definitely had him hot and bothered. He took a brief moment to think over what Bridget meant by a 'little something' surely you couldn't call what she was wearing _clothes_…there was hardly anything there! Alistair swept his eyes over her back which was covered by a skintight, sheer mesh. That fabric stretched to the small of her back where it then became three layers of ruffles, nearly covering all of her bottom. He could just make out her small clothes under them and realized that they were made completely out of white lace. His eyes continued their trail from her bottom to the backs of her thighs which, he noticed she wore a garter on each leg that was the tops to her white, sheer stockings.

Bridget turned around then and leaned up against the dresser, smiling at the look on Alistair's face. His mouth was slightly ajar, and she could've sworn she saw a little hint of saliva escaping the corner of his mouth.

Alistair swallowed as he was now blessed with the frontal view of his wife's body. Her breasts were held securely in her garment and were pushed together and forward it seemed. The cloth covering her breasts was a tad bit thicker than the rest of the lingerie, but just under her breasts it turned sheer and see-through once again. The garment had a cut out that left Bridget's naval and the rest of her lower body exposed…and Alistair was able to determine that she was indeed wearing lace undergarments.

Bridget chuckled.

"Careful my dear, you may catch a fly in your mouth." She stated.

Alistair blinked and shook his head, tearing his gaze away from her lower region and forcing himself to look into her eyes. Bridget smiled and turned slowly, placing her hands on her hips and giving her bottom a little shake.

"Thoughts?" she asked.

Alistair blushed and cleared his throat.

"None pure…that's for sure." He replied in a cracked voice.

Bridget grinned as she turned back around and looked at him. She slowly walked forward, running her hands down her breasts and abdomen.

"Do you want to touch me, husband?" she asked seductively as her hands met at the junction of her thighs briefly before she slowly moved them back up her stomach and over her breasts again.

Alistair nodded, perhaps a little too quickly.

"More than I can possibly say." He replied, his voice becoming husky. Bridget smirked, loving every second of knowing how much power she had over him. She continued her slow pace until she stood in front of him. Bridget pushed Alistair against the bed and watched as he scrambled up to rest his back against the pillows. Bridget then climbed onto the bed and crawled towards Alistair on all fours, making his already burning red face deepen it's shade. She settled herself striding his waist and ground her hips into his, teasing him unmercifully. Alistair took a sharp breath when she did that and Bridget smiled at him. She caressed the side of his face as she lowered herself to his waiting form. Just inches from his lips she whispered,

"Then let us not waste another moment."

Bridget crashed her lips to Alistair's in a bruising kiss. His hands flew to her back and he roamed them up and down her tingling flesh, the sheer lingerie feeling absolutely lovely against his calloused hands. He moved his hips up towards hers as he gripped her bottom tightly in his hands, causing Bridget to gasp and then giggle in delight. She trailed her kisses down his jawline and neck, releasing her tongue to taste his salty skin. Bridget then broke the kiss and sat up. She took his large hands in hers and placed them over her breasts. Alistair took no time at all and began to massage them in his hands, squeezing gently and eliciting a pleased sigh from his wife. Alistair ran his thumbs over her perky mounds that were now straining against the sheer fabric. They were begging to be kissed, to be sucked…but before Alistair could lean up towards them, Bridget lowered herself back to his chest and kissed him passionately. Alistair grinned and closed his eyes as Bridget broke the kiss but returned her lips to his jawline and neck again, only this time she moved herself further down his body, splaying her kisses all across his chest, sucking and nipping at the heated skin. She moved lower and lower until the waistband of Alistair's trousers prevented her from going any further. Bridget lifted her head and smirked at her husband devilishly as she slowly slipped her finger under the laces of his breeches. Bridget raised her eyebrows.

"Not going to stop me?" she asked seductively.

Alistair opened his eyes and looked down at her. He blushed and broke their eye contact. "Err well I…I thought you were going to…um…"

Bridget's eyes widened as she gasped playfully.

"But Alistair…that is so very _naughty_! Queens do not behave like that!" she exclaimed as she moved herself down his body and removed his trousers…and small clothes too.

Alistair blushed deeply and took a sharp intake of breath as he was now exposed to his wife's sparkling eyes. His lips then turned up into a sly grin as he looked down at her where she was studying his length. Bridget trailed the tip of her finger against his manhood, making Alistair shiver in delight.

"But you're not like other queens…" he breathed, trying to regain at least some control over himself.

Bridget pulled the sheet over her head like a tent, gazing up at Alistair as she did so. She lowered herself to his flat, toned stomach and splayed a few kisses there…inching her way closer and closer to his throbbing manhood as she did so. She nipped his hip bone and then placed a soft kiss there, inching closer and closer… She cast her eyes up at her love again and grinned.

"You're right…I'm not like other queens…" she said as she pulled the sheet completely over her head.

Alistair's breathing hitched and quickened as his heart slammed against his chest. Maker his wife was doing such…such _incredible_ yet bad, bad things to him…surely this was a sin! Honestly in that moment, however, Alistair didn't care…he couldn't even think! He was quite sure that if he died right there in that moment, he would die a very, very happy man. Although, it was hard to think about anything else as the only thing that was on his mind was his wife…and that skilled, silky tongue of hers. Alistair gripped the bed sheets and clenched his eyes shut as he moved his hips forward and back, his skin breaking out into a sweat. Alistair groaned loudly as he arched his back, his climax tore through him mercilessly, leaving him trembling in pleasure. Bridget emerged from beneath the sheet and kissed her way back up his chest. She moved to straddle his waist again and, once she sat comfortably atop him, she grabbed Alistair's goblet of wine that rested on the end table and downed the rest of it's contents. A few drops fell from the cup and landed on his chest, which Bridget made quick work of with her tongue. Alistair noted her flushed face and noticed that her blush stretched all the way down her neck and towards the tops of her breasts. He smiled and relaxed comfortably against the soft mattress, resting his hands behind his head and sighing contently. Bridget smiled and placed her goblet back on the end table.

"Like that did you?" she asked as she returned her attention to him, caressing the side of his face.

Alistair removed his hands from behind his head and trailed his fingers up and down her arms slowly, leaving her skin tingling for more in their wake. He then lifted her slightly, enough to where he could roll atop her, which he did. Alistair sat on his knees as Bridget moved her legs to lay on either side of his hips. He ran his hands up her stocking covered legs, trailing his fingertips against the sheer mesh.

Alistair blushed and nodded.

"Yes…but now it's my turn…"

He lowered his face to her lips and kissed her passionately, tangling their tongues together as one danced with the other in a familiar tune. Alistair slowly began to pull away, but sucked on Bridget's bottom lip as he did so. He broke the kiss and stared into her cloudy eyes. Bridget smiled up at him as she slowly lowered her hands down his back, along the length of his spine, causing Alistair to shiver in delight. He rubbed his rough thumb against her cheek and took a moment to appreciate the softness of her skin beneath the pad of his thumb. He removed the small veil she wore and tossed it behind him. Alistair smiled at her sweetly, noting the flush in her face, the way her golden tresses were splayed against the pillows, the red tint to her plump, luscious lips, red as a rose from the ferocity of their kisses. Alistair lowered himself back to his wife and nuzzled her neck, leaving hot little kisses along her neck and across her collar bone where he also released his tongue to taste her sweet skin. Alistair noted that the feel of her lingerie against his skin was very delightful, but that didn't mean he was going to let her wear it for much longer. He buried his face in her breasts and kissed, nipped, and sucked at them through the sheer fabric, making Bridget release the most enticing little noises. Soft giggles, complacent sighs, pleasured moans, all of them causing Alistair to get more aroused by the second. He finally tore his lips away from her breasts and continued southward with his lips while his hands rubbed and toyed with her breasts, gently squeezing them in his large hands.

Alistair kissed her naval and then encircled it with his tongue before he continued lower. At her lace underwear he ran his nose along the front of them, breathing in Bridget's delicious scent. His lips then touched her inner thigh; placing little kisses here and there and drawing them down before her garter stopped him. Alistair sat up then and removed the stockings from her legs, tossing them behind him and out of the way. Alistair grinned at his wife as he lifted one of her legs and placed his lips to her ankle, then slowly drew them back up. He made sure her other leg was not neglected and moved his hand up its shapely form. His lips made it back to her inner thigh eventually and once they had, Alistair hooked his fingers beneath her lace panties and pulled them down slowly. Alistair looked back up at Bridget to see her blushing and grinning widely. She quirked her brow as she stared at him.

"Wicked, wicked man." She breathed, knowing exactly what he intended to do next.

Alistair chuckled.

"Yes, yes I am." He replied as he placed a soft kiss to her inner thigh, kissing just a bit higher this time.

Bridget suppressed her pleasured chuckle and curled her toes in delight as Alistair slipped his tongue forward. Bridget closed her eyes and bit her lip as she arched slightly to her husband's probing tongue. She breathed out his name as he swirled it once and her breath hitched slightly as he continued to stroke her, but before long he pulled away and kissed her naval again. Alistair moved himself back up his wife's body and kissed her lips slowly, lovingly, delving his tongue inside and letting it dance briefly with hers before he pulled it out. He let out a ragged breath as Bridget shifted below him slightly, pressing herself up against his arousal. Alistair pulled back and looked at her.

"How do I get this off of you?" he asked.

Bridget rolled over onto her stomach and moved her hair out of the way revealing the laces that held the lingerie together.

"Try not to tangle these, love. I really do love this piece of lingerie, and my guess is that you do as well."

Alistair chuckled as he slowly began to unlace the back of the garment. It came apart easily and he wasted no time removing it from Bridget's form. Bridget moved to roll back over, but Alistair held her still.

"Sit up on your knees for me." He stated.

Bridget did as Alistair asked and grinned when she felt his calloused hands clamp around her breasts from behind while his lips kissed the tip of her ear before his tongue ran along it's outer shell and then nibbled on her earlobe, causing Bridget to gasp. She felt his arousal at the small of her back and pressed in against it making her husband groan. Bridget could tell he was beginning to lose his self-restraint. Alistair released her breasts and snaked his hands down the front of her stomach. He cupped her womanhood briefly before pulling his hands back to rest on her hips. The image of the couple in the book that Zevran had given him flashed before his eyes and Alistair smiled.

"Lean forward on your hands." He whispered huskily.

Bridget did so, biting her lip in anticipation. She had a feeling where this was going, but didn't bother asking. Alistair swallowed and moved himself behind his wife, resting his hands on her hips. He positioned himself at her entrance and pushed forward only slightly. Bridget moaned softly and whispered his name, giving Alistair all the encouragement he needed to push forward until he was completely sheathed inside of her. Bridget arched her back slightly towards him as she shifted slightly to accommodate him.

"Oh Alistair…mmm…where did you learn how to do this?" she asked, a little breathless. Alistair slowly moved his hips back, but then pushed them forward again, slowly and lovingly.

"A book that Zevran was kind enough to give me as a wedding present." He replied as he moved his hands over her bottom, noting that he had a very nice view from his position and then moved his hands back to her hips. Alistair leaned over his love and kissed her shoulder as he continued to move his hips. Bridget rocked her hips in time with his, letting her head lull back and rest against his shoulder. He earned another moan from her as he reached for her breast and held it in his hands, splaying kisses against her shoulders and back. She smiled as she put all her weight to one arm, snaking her hand down to briefly hold Alistair's hand over her breast but then moved it down further, across her abdomen and further still. She gently touched where they were joined and Alistair groaned loudly. Having to hold her own weight plus most of Alistair's proved too much for Bridget's arm and it fell. She landed against the mattress and giggled as Alistair stilled himself.

"Maker are you alright?" he asked.

Bridget nodded and rolled her hips back.

"Yes…don't stop Alistair, please…" she breathed.

That was all he needed to here as he resumed his thrusts. Bridget clenched her eyes shut and drew her brows together as she gripped the edge of the bed. She bent her leg and moved it upwards slightly to take in as much of her husband as she could. He huffed and grunted against her ear as his thrusts became erratic. Suddenly, Alistair pulled himself out completely, making Bridget swivel around to look at him. He quickly flipped her over onto her back and gripped her hips, lifting her bottom up to him. Bridget's cry of pleasure was muffled as Alistair slid into her in one fell swoop, locking his lips with hers as he did so. Bridget tightened her legs around his waist, arching her back trying to get as physically close to him as she could. When Alistair broke the kiss, Bridget quickly pushed up against him, causing him to fall backwards against the large mattress. She gripped his shoulders as she swiveled her hips, biting her lip hard as Alistair dug his fingers into her flesh, his eyes never leaving the vision of her swaying breasts as she moved over him. She didn't stay there for long, however, as Alistair pushed her back against the pillows, his thrusts coming erratically now. Bridget caught every thrust he gave her and threw it right back at him, gripping his hair in her hands… throwing her head back as he hit her repeatedly in just the right spot. Alistair then stilled and groaned loudly as his climax came again, her name tumbling from his lips. He trembled with release and Bridget arched against his chest, calling out his name as a million white spots exploded before her eyes as her own peak came. Alistair slumped forward, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He lifted his gaze and smiled at her before slowly pulling himself out of her depths and turning over onto his back. Both of them were quiet as their breath came in ragged gasps. Bridget snuggled up close to her husband and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Damn…that was hot." She huffed.

Alistair laughed and turned to look down at her. He tilted her chin up towards him with the tips of his fingers and claimed her mouth in a slow kiss before pulling back slightly and bumping his nose against hers. Bridget grinned and kissed him deeply, moving over him and resting her body against his.

"Blunt much?" he asked with a laugh.

Bridget shrugged.

"I'm just being honest!" she exclaimed.

Alistair chuckled and caressed the side of her face, pushing some of her hair behind her ear that wanted to cling to her damp skin.

"I believe it was called 'mabari style', the part when I was behind you anyway. I guess we know why we haven't seen much of Zeus lately now that Lola's responded to his advances. We're bound to have little pups running amuck soon enough!" he replied.

Bridget smiled and placed a kiss to the end of his nose. She held his face in her hands and looked into his eyes.

"Maybe if we keep it up we'll have our _own _children running about at some point." She whispered.

Alistair smiled warmly up at her and rolled over so that Bridget rested against the mattress. He lowered his face to hers and claimed her mouth slowly, rubbing a hand over her breast absentmindedly. He broke the kiss and grinned as she settled her legs on the sides of his hips.

"Perhaps we will…and you know, since it is supposedly so difficult for two Wardens to have a child…wouldn't that mean you and I would have to try very…_frequently_?"

Bridget's lips curved up into a smile as hooked her leg between his knee and flipped them, settling herself atop her husband once again.

"Ooh yes…I would think more than once a day, wouldn't you, husband dearest?"

Alistair grinned and rested his hands on her bottom.

"I daresay you are onto something, my wife."

Bridget chuckled.

"I do have several other pieces of lingerie that are just begging to be worn…some of them very _naughty_ lingerie…but I will save them for our honeymoon. I am glad we're going to Orlais…but I'm afraid we won't be seeing much of the city herself."

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"And why is that?" he asked.

Bridget grinned and kissed him heatedly before pulling back.

"Because I intend to keep you locked away in the bedroom with me, I'll even tie you to the bedposts if I have to."

Alistair chuckled.

"Oh that's so terribly bad of you, my queen. I may have to punish you for such risqué talk."

Bridget kissed him again and then bent to his ear. She flicked it with her tongue and whispered,

"Then by all means give me a spanking, my king. I will admit I've been very naughty this evening…"

Alistair rolled her off of him and held her securely to his chest laying on his side. He kissed her slowly and pulled away, grinning sheepishly.

"Maker I love you, Bridget."

Bridget smiled and kissed him back.

"I love you too, Alistair." She whispered.

They remained in each other's arms for the rest of the night, giggling, sleeping, waking up to make love once again…

They were blissful and happy, completely content. Alistair had finally married the woman that had captured his heart from the moment he saw her, and Bridget had a family in him once again…

But they weren't a complete family yet…and wouldn't be until they had at least one child.

However, obtaining that would prove to be the most difficult task yet.

**A/N: **Gonna go and hide in my corner of shame now. Hope you guys enjoyed this, it wasn't easy to write at all!


	62. Chapter 61: A Satinalia Surprise

Chapter 61

A Santinalia Surprise

Unfortunately for Bridget and Alistair, their week in Orlias went by much faster than either of them wanted. Although, they did have a very interesting time there, one they would certainly never forget. Alistair had to meet the empress herself and apologize on Loghain's behalf, which she at first rejected, but eventually came around. She took a great interest in the fact that both Alistair and Bridget were Grey Wardens, saying that her own great grandfather was a Warden himself. The city itself was absolutely beautiful and boisterous; Bridget hadn't seen quite so many finely dressed people in all her life. They didn't get to see the entire city, however, mostly because it was so large, but also because there were a few days when she nor Alistair ever left their room.

Now, however, it was back to business as both of them sat on their respective thrones, listening to Eamon drawl on about the goings on in Denerim, catching them up on anything important they may have missed. Alistair placed his hand atop Bridget's and smiled at her, knowing full well that once their work was done for the day, they'd spend the rest of it in each other's arms (or so he thought).

"And that's pretty much everything that took place in your absence, Majesty." Eamon concluded at last.

Alistair nodded.

"Good to know everything's still in tip top shape!" he said happily.

Eamon bowed his head.

"Indeed. I have also contacted the Circle of Magi on your behalf. They should be sending a mage to help with…_that_ within the next few days. Your friend will also be joining the mage."

Bridget brightened.

"Wonderful! I'm so glad that Wynne will be back here once again!" she exclaimed.

Alistair grinned.

"It will be good to see her!" he agreed.

Eamon nodded.

"And now your Majesty, if I may have a moment in private with you?" he asked.

Alistair furrowed his brow a little uneasily. Usually when Eamon had to address him in private he had something to say about Bridget.

"Very well…" he said slowly and stood.

Bridget watched as he and Eamon walked off in the direction towards Alistair's office. She sighed, figuring she'd ask Alistair about it later and returned her attention to the task at hand. The doors opened and a servant popped their head in.

"Fergus Cousland to see you, Majesty."

Bridget grinned.

"Send him in, please." She replied.

The servant nodded and a moment later Fergus entered the room. He bowed respectfully before having to catch himself from falling back due to the force of Bridget's hug.

"Fergus! Oh I missed you!"

Fergus nodded and hugged her back.

"Missed you too, sis. So…how was Orlias?"

Bridget pulled back and walked back up to her throne and sat. She told Fergus of the beauties of the city, hers and Alistair's initial meeting with the empress, and how differently their society was compared to Fereldan.

"It sounds like you had a good time." He remarked, beaming up at her.

Bridget smiled and nodded.

"I did. It was nice to get away from it all for a little while." She replied.

Fergus tipped his head to the side.

"I'm sure it was. Any chance I'm going to be an uncle soon?" he asked.

Bridget looked up at him. Per Eamon's request, she nor Alistair were supposed to openly address the fact that it was difficult for them to have children. He wanted to keep the entire thing as secret as possible, fearing what the Grand Cleric would think if she found out magic was involved. Knowing her, she'd probably condemn the child as being a demon or an abomination since it wasn't produced naturally. Drawing herself back to the question, Bridget shook her head.

"Not quite yet, brother. Alistair and I want some time to ourselves first." She stated.

Fergus chuckled.

"Yes that is very understandable." He replied.

Bridget nodded then decided to change the subject.

"How are the repairs on the castle coming?"

Fergus sighed and shook his head.

"It will still be some time before I can move back in there, so I'll be hanging around here for a little while longer. I appreciate that you and Alistair went ahead and granted me the Terynir of Highever, though. It's nice to at least have something." He stated.

Bridget stood and hooked her arm through his.

"You still have me, Fergus. Don't think that just because I am here and you are back in Highever when the time comes that we won't see each other as much. I expect you to visit at least twice a month."

Fergus smiled…but it was a little half-heartedly.

"I know I have you, sister but…I want to have a family again…to love again. When I think about Oriana and Orhen…. it…it's all I can do to hold myself back from joining them. I want to remarry and have children but then I think of them and I feel as if I would be betraying them somehow…"

Bridget drew her brows together and hugged Fergus tightly. She pulled back and looked up at him.

"Fergus, Oriana would want your happiness above anything else. She would not expect you to mourn her forever and you know that, she wasn't that type of person." She said softly.

Fergus was quiet for a long moment before shaking his head and sighing.

"I know but…I see all these young women looking for husbands…they are so much _younger_ than me…I am twenty-six, Bridget. Most of these women aren't even your age yet, and you're only twenty. I want to marry a _woman_ not some bratty girl who's only looking for a husband to brag about to her friends."

Bridget nodded.

"Yes I understand, but there are older women, women that are closer in age to you that are at court as well!" she exclaimed.

Fergus sighed.

"Yes sister but most of those women are already married…"

He trailed off for a moment before he cleared his throat and shook his head.

"I think I'm going to go to the knight's quarters and let off some frustration on a unsuspecting straw dummy. I'll see you around, Bridget."

Before Bridget could say anything else, Fergus bowed quickly and exited the room. She stared after her brother, her heart breaking slightly. It killed her to see him in such inner turmoil and part of her knew he probably blamed her for Oriana and Orhen's deaths…he just didn't outwardly say it to hurt her feelings. Bridget sighed and walked back up to sit on her throne, her thoughts swimming inside her head.

_xXx_

Alistair sat behind his desk once he and Eamon entered his office and looked at Eamon quizzically as the old man sat in front of him.

"It still feels odd finding myself on this side of the desk." He noted.

Alistair chuckled.

"The same goes for me." He replied.

They sat in an awkward silence for a moment before Eamon cleared his throat.

"I just wanted to ask you a few questions regarding her Majesty…to see if we even need the mages help at all."

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"What kind of questions?"

Eamon folded his hands in his lap and looked at him.

"It is possible that we can avoid bringing the mages in altogether and just have a regular apothecary tend to her needs. Now tell me, how many times have you been intimate with her since your wedding?"

Alistair choked slightly on the sip of water he took and cleared his throat.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

Eamon shook his head.

"Quite a bit, actually. You see, depending on how many times you have slept with her, Bridget could already be pregnant, just in the very early stages where no one can tell. Also is she very regular with her cycle? That may also have something to do with,"

"I am very regular let me assure you, Eamon."

Alistair and Eamon both stiffened as Bridget entered the room. Alistair could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't pleased in the least that her very personal goings on were being discussed between the two men. Bridget walked in and moved to stand next to Alistair's chair.

"And to answer the rest of your questions, Alistair and I have been very intimate with each other ever since our wedding night, but I am not pregnant because I am in the middle of my cycle now." She hissed.

Alistair sunk down a little bit in his chair. Bridget was a little frightening when her hormones were fuddled about because of her woman time…

Eamon bit his lip.

"Oh…I see…" he replied softly.

Bridget frowned at him.

"Face it Eamon, it's not going to happen unless we have a mage to help us, and I hope to the Maker that they're a woman. Maker knows you men are about to drive me insane."

With that she turned on her heel and stormed out of the other door, her heels echoing off of the wooden floor. Alistair sighed.

"Now you've gotten me into trouble, thanks for that!"

Eamon sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know how we are going to be able to keep this from the Grand Cleric…if she found out about this…she could go straight to the Divine herself!"

Alistair shook his head and stood.

"I highly doubt that that's going to happen, Eamon. Plenty of people have difficulty becoming pregnant and they seek the aid of potions and what not as well! Why should it be any different for Bridget and I?"

"It's different because you are monarchs! That is why! Alistair you know what can come from mages and magic, I almost lost my whole village because of my son! You saw firsthand what happens when one of them succumbs to a demon's soft whispers…I just want to ensure that nothing like that happens here." He retorted.

Alistair sighed and walked around his desk, heading for the door.

"Well…we'll just have to hope that something like that _doesn't_ happen here. He stated before opening the door and stepping through it.

Eamon opened his mouth, but shut it tight, remembering his place. He just hoped that once the mage arrived, they knew what they were doing, and could help them quickly and get back to the Tower where they belonged.

The following week, Alistair and Bridget once again sat atop their thrones listening to delegates and merchants as was per usual now. Bridget noticed Fergus standing by the window and looking out it, a distant look to his eyes. Bridget felt her stomach do a flop as the servant announced the arrival of the mages. She looked at Alistair and placed her hand atop his. He looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile, hoping with all of his heart that this mage could help them conceive. Bridget relaxed a little bit as the two mages entered. One she knew was Wynne, and she could tell by the robes of the other mage that they were indeed a woman. Upon reaching the dais, both of them bowed deeply.

Eamon cleared his throat.

"These are the mages that the Circle Tower has sent to aid us. Wynne, as you know, and…"

The other mage pulled back her hood and smiled up at Bridget. She had strawberry blonde hair and a freckled face, not to mention eyes as green as grass. Bridget's eyes widened.

"Faye?" she asked in surprise.

Faye nodded and grinned.

"Long time no see, eh?" she asked.

Bridget stood and threw her arms around the mage, hugging her tightly. Alistair and Eamon looked at each other curiously. Bridget pulled back and giggled. She and Faye Amell used to be as thick as thieves in their younger years. Although Faye was two years older than Bridget, that didn't stop them from being the best of friends. The Amells were a powerful, noble family in Fereldan and Kirkwall even, but because the family name carried traces of magic, they weren't held with as much respect as they should have been. Faye's parents thought they lucked out when neither she nor her brother showed any signs of magic until Gregory made Faye mad…

"I can't believe it's you! I guess this explains why after my eighth birthday I never saw you again!" she said, noting her mages robes.

Faye chuckled.

"Yes…it was around that time that I accidentally set my brother's head on fire. I was carted off to the Tower the next day. I tried writing to you but all my letters seemed to never get to you. I knew you would have replied to me as soon as you received one so when you didn't, I had a feeling they were intercepted and disposed of. Apparently one can have no friends outside of the Tower." She explained.

Wynne chuckled and stepped forward to hug Bridget as well.

"I had no idea that you two knew each other back when you were small, but when I returned and told everyone about our adventures, Faye nearly exploded with excitement and went on to brag to all the other mages that she used to be best friends with the Hero of Fereldan."

Fayne nodded and then remembered Alistair was still present and dropped into a curtsey.

"Your Majesty, my name is Faye Amell. I'll be providing my services to you and her Majesty for as long as you need me."

Alistair grinned and moved to stand next to Bridget.

"Any friend of my wife's is a friend of mine. Welcome." He stated.

Faye nodded and then looked back at Bridget.

"Hmm…he's cute, I always knew you'd marry well…but you really outdid yourself, Bridget." She whispered.

Bridget threw her head back and laughed.

"I take it there are no handsome mages in your Tower?"

Faye shook her head.

"Hardly…but then there's Anders…oh I'll tell you all about him later. Right now though, we need to get to business…but first is Fergus around? It'd be nice to see him again too."

Bridget smiled and nodded. Hearing his name, Fergus was already making his way towards them. He grinned when his eyes landed on Faye, and Bridget noticed he took in her figure.

"It's good to see you, Faye. Here I thought you fell off the face of Thedas itself."

Faye chuckled and gave Fergus a tight hug.

"Nope, I've just been cooped up in a stuffy Tower all this time. Honestly I thought you would have come to save me, strong soldier that you are and what not. But you never did. That hurt my feelings you know." She joked.

Eamon cleared his throat then and suggested everyone get back to business, causing Faye to discreetly roll her eyes.

"I don't know how you stand it, Bridget. I've only just met that man and he's already getting on my nerves. I haven't seen you for a decade and then some and all he wants us to do is work, work, and work! Ugh, I guess we should get started though; it will take time for this potion to brew once I start it. First I need to speak to you and Alistair privately though, to answer some questions that way I can base the contents of the potion on your answers."

Bridget nodded.

"We can go to Alistair's office." She suggested.

Faye nodded and followed Bridget and Alistair out of the room and down the hall. Bridget slipped her hand into Alistair's and grinned broadly. She couldn't ask for anyone better to help them than Faye. Once in the office she and Alistair sat behind the desk while Faye sat in front of them.

"Do you have any questions for me before we get started?" she asked.

Alistair nodded.

"Yes…is your potion guaranteed to work? We'd really like to be able to get this on the first try." He stated.

Faye nodded.

"That is understandable. Unfortunately though, I do not have the answer. You and Bridget will be the first human's this potion has been tested on. Rest assured, however that on the animals I was given to perform tests, all of them were able to produce offspring. All I have to do is alter the number of ingredients I place in the potion to adapt it to a human's body. I also have more than one potion, so if the first fails, we could try a different approach."

"Why weren't you able to test it on other mages?" Bridget asked.

Faye looked at her.

"We're not allowed to have children in the Tower…it's bad enough if one parent is a mage, but for two? That child is sure to carry magic then, perhaps even a double dose of it. Since the Chantry and Templars are trying to put a cap on magic itself well…it's forbidden. It does still happen, however, but it's usually without the aid of potions. While some of us study ways to become pregnant to help others, a great many of us study ways to not get pregnant with the use of potions and herbs."

Bridget nodded and looked at Alistair.

"Did you want to ask anything else?"

Alistair shook his head.

"Nope, now how soon can we start?"

Faye chuckled.

"Someone's eager! It will take about a month for the potion to reach completion…but I can't start it unless I ask you a few things. Before that time, however, there are other things you could do to perhaps become pregnant on your own without me."

Bridget looked down.

"I don't think we _can _without your help, Faye." She replied softly.

Faye tipped her head to the side and said,

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try. Now you can, after you've been intimate, lay with a pillow beneath your bottom for about half an hour afterwards. This will tilt your hips upward slightly and it helps the sperm travel at a faster rate towards your uterus. Now there are also positions you could utilize as well that could help you, but make sure you use the pillow thing, that actually helps a lot."

Bridget nodded, noting Alistair's red face and chuckling.

"We always remain there and have some pillow talk for a while anyway so that shouldn't be a problem."

Faye nodded.

"Good. Now I need you to tell me about your intimacy, what positions you like to use and how fast his Majesty,"

Alistair stood.

"Do I really have to be present why you ask all these questions?" he asked.

Faye shook her head.

"No, I can just ask Bridget if you like, she'll be honest I'm sure."

Alistair, a little confused by that remark, turned to Bridget.

"She's almost as bad as Zevran!" he exclaimed.

Bridget chuckled.

"I'll meet up with you later, my love."

Alistair nodded and placed a kiss to her cheek before exiting the room. Faye raised her eyebrows.

"Shy is he? How on earth do you get him to lay with you if he gets flustered just talking about it?"

Bridget shook her head.

"Two completely different things let me tell you." She replied.

Faye chuckled.

"I'm sure!" she laughed.

The women continued their conversation and Bridget answered all of Faye's questions to the best of her ability. Once that was finished, Faye hauled her things up to her room and said that she would begin working on the potion that night. True to her word, a month later the potion was ready to be taken. Faye set it down in front of Bridget who made a face at the slightly blue colored liquid. Alistair looked at her and then back to the potion. Faye cleared her throat.

"Here it is at last. Now I will warn you, there will be side effects after drinking this potion. You may feel sick, woozy, drowsy, nothing very pleasant I'm afraid. After taking this potion wait for about three hours and then, if you're feeling up to it, lay with Alistair. I should be able to check you within a week to tell you if you are pregnant or not."

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"You can tell that soon?" he asked, amazed.

Faye nodded.

"Yes, with magic anyway. Normal apothecaries would not be able to tell until you were a few months along. Go on now, drink up…you may want to pinch your nose though, it's not going to taste very good."

Bridget drew her brows together and swallowed nervously. She pinched her nose and downed all of the potion in one gulp, swallowing hard and gagging slightly. She covered her mouth and swallowed again.

"Dear Maker that tastes worse than Darkspawn blood!" she exclaimed, before having to swallow the bile rising up in the back of her throat again.

Bridget licked her lips and held her stomach.

"I think I'm going to lie down for a while." She stated.

Faye nodded and she and Alistair watched as Bridget slowly walked out of the room. Alistair sighed.

"So…how fool proof is this potion? I know you said before it's not guaranteed to work."

Faye shook her head.

"It's not, but there are other potions I could utilize. If you like, I can also begin giving Bridget a few tonics to take here and now. They aren't as effective as the potions, but it could help in it's own small way…and taking both the tonics and the potions won't cause her any harm."

Alistair nodded.

"Let's do that if you think it will work, as long as Bridget will be alright."

Faye grinned.

"Sure thing, your Majesty. I'll go grab a few tonics now."

She turned to leave, but then looked back over her shoulder at him.

"I don't know if you believe in such things, Majesty…but it doesn't hurt to send a few prayers up to the Maker…he works in many ways…"

Alistair raised his eyebrows.

"I never expected to hear that from a mage, considering the Chantry's iron grip on you and what not."

Faye shrugged.

"Well…I did spend my first ten years as a normal, noble child…and I was one of the rare ones who actually listened to the readings of the Chant. Take it for what you will, Majesty…but it really helps if you have hope."

Alistair nodded as she left the room and decided to check on Bridget. He made his way towards their bedroom and gently pushed the door open. She had already stripped herself out of her dress and was laying atop the blankets in her shift with a chamber pot sitting on the floor beside her. She looked at Alistair and gave him a small smile.

"I hope this works." She whispered.

Alistair climbed atop the bed and laid next to her. He gently kissed her forehead and nodded.

"As do I." he replied.

Bridget and Alistair hoped with all of their might that the potion had worked, and while Faye was running her glowing hands over Bridget's lower abdomen a week later, she sent more than a few prayers to the Maker. Bridget looked at Alistair and squeezed his hand tightly. He smiled and nodded at her. Bridget turned her attention back to Faye and frowned slightly as she noticed her furrowed brow. The blue glow faded from Faye's hands and she sighed.

"I am sorry…the potion did not work…"

Bridget drew her brows together and looked down, biting her lip to hold in the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes. Alistair sighed and looked down as well. Faye shook her head.

"Now there's no need to worry, there's other potions that we could use as well, along with those tonics I told you about. Will you permit me to take a small sample of your blood? If I study the Taint within it, I may be able to find a work around. It'll be difficult…but I think I can figure it out."

Bridget didn't say anything, just nodded slowly. Faye went to fetch her supplies. Bridget looked at Alistair and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Alistair." She whispered.

He shook his head.

"It's not your fault, my love. Maybe we'll get it with the next potion." He said optimistically.

That optimism would not last long, however. The months continued to trickle by one by one, and each time every potion was ineffective. Faye had now holed herself up in her room, not coming out for anything, not even to eat so she could devote all her time to finding a way for Bridget to get pregnant. Because of the constant failures, everyone who knew about the struggle was very on edge…and hope was severely lacking. Eamon kept pushing and pushing for Bridget and Alistair to continue to be intimate, despite the slim chances that they would get pregnant on their own and it was beginning to take a toll on both of them. It seemed to Bridget like they weren't making love anymore, not for their own reasons anyway…sort of like the only reason they were having sex was just so they could get pregnant. Alistair was also becoming swamped with work, scrolls, and edicts. The only time he ever saw Bridget was for when they did roll around for a bit, but then he couldn't even stay with her, he had to get right back to work. Alistair could tell that Bridget was disappointed with the turn of events as well. He could see it in her eyes, the way she carried herself and sometimes woke up at night to find her crying silently to herself. It was taking a toll on both of them. They were both frustrated because they had gotten no results and Alistair tried not to let her know how disappointed he was but it eventually slipped out…which wasn't good at all.

"I'm just frustrated that we've been trying and trying for months now and _still_ nothing has happened!"

Bridget narrowed her eyes.

"How do you think _I _feel about it? It's just as frustrating for me as it is for you, Alistair!" Bridget shouted back.

Alistair buried his face in his hands.

"How is it? You're not the one who has to hear the whispers behind your back of how you cannot get your wife pregnant! Everyone thinks I'm impotent and that's really embarrassing! It's not even my fault that we're not pregnant!" he yelled.

Bridget gaped at him.

"Are you trying to tell me that this is all _my _fault?"

Alistair looked at her and closed his mouth tight. Thinking about it now…he probably should've worded that sentence better…

Bridget narrowed her eyes and flared her nostrils.

"This is not any easier for me than it is for you, Alistair! Be thankful that you're not the one who has to take all of these potions and have to suffer the side effects! You're not the one who has to have their hope that maybe this time it will work but then discover blood in their small clothes!" she yelled.

Alistair drew his brows together and sighed as he noticed Bridget's eyes get glassy. She took a deep breath and said,

"I understand that you're frustrated, Alistair, but this is doubly frustrating for me! Don't you _dare_ blame any of this on me!"

With that, Bridget turned sharply on her heel and threw open the door, stepping through and slamming it behind her. Alistair remained alone and ashamed in his office. He slumped down in his chair and buried his face in his hands, cursing himself and his poor choice of words. He decided not to go after her now since she'd need time to cool down and figured by supper that evening she would come around.

Not likely.

Alistair sat in the dining hall alone, staring at his meal. He looked up as Regina, Bridget's personal maid walked by carrying a tray of food.

"Where are you taking that?" he asked softly.

She turned and looked at him, curtsying out of respect.

"To her Majesty…she wishes to dine in her quarters tonight and remain there for the rest of the evening."

Alistair's eyes widened. Since their marriage they never slept apart…Alistair hung his head. He must've _really_ upset her. He looked back at the maid and nodded.

"See that she is comfortable."

Regina drew her brows together and sighed.

"I will try, Majesty…but she has been crying ever since this afternoon."

He frowned, ashamed of himself.

"Can I see her?" he asked.

Regina shook her head slightly.

"She's asked to be left alone…but you are the king so you could go and see her if you really wished…"

Alistair shook his head.

"No…it's best to respect her wishes. Thank you, Regina."

The maid curtsied again before exiting the room. Alistair rubbed his forehead and sighed, beating himself up mentally for his lack of judgment. He should've never said anything…it was better to suffer in silence than upset Bridget…but he just _had_ to open his mouth. He hoped by the next day she had cooled down enough to where he could apologize to her at least…

Again, it wasn't likely.

They passed each other briefly in the hall the next day, but Bridget wouldn't even look at him, she kept her gaze focused ahead of her and ignored him completely when he tried to speak to her. Alistair sat behind his desk later that day, not paying any attention to what Eamon was saying, instead he focused his thoughts on how he could patch things up with his wife. Her birthday was the next day, and he intended to make it very special for her. Although the air was getting a bit chilly since they were headed for Wintermarch again as they were in the middle of Harvestmere, he figured they could still do what he had planned, if she would give him the time of day, that is.

"Eamon I want you to cancel everything I have planned for tomorrow. It's Bridget's birthday and I wish to spend the entire day with her."

Eamon gaped at him.

"Your Majesty you can't just,"

Alistair turned his gaze on him and looked at him hard.

"Cancel everything, Eamon. I mean it." He stated.

Eamon nodded.

"Yes, Majesty…if you say so."

_xXx_

Bridget lay half asleep early the next morning. Today marked her twenty first birthday…and tomorrow would be the first anniversary of her family's death. She intended to spend the day with Fergus…but hadn't seen much of him lately as she noticed he had been spending an awful lot of time with Faye. What he could do to help she didn't know…but suspected he wasn't in her room just to 'help'. She'd noticed lately that whenever they were in the same room with each other, both Faye and Fergus would glance at each other more than once, sometimes she even though she noticed a blush creep to Faye's cheeks. Bridget was happy for both of them if they were doing what she thought they were, but didn't want to jinx anything by bringing it up, she didn't outright ask them if they were together. Her woman's intuition was enough to tell her that something was going on. Bridget slowly opened her eyes as she heard her bedroom door open and the soft clink of a silver tray. Was it breakfast already? She closed her eyes as her curtains were drawn back, spilling in the dim early morning rays of sunlight to dance atop the wooden floors and walls. Bridget's eyes opened when she felt someone sit on he side of her bed, closest to her.

"My love…it's time to wake up." Alistair whispered.

Bridget frowned slightly and opened her eyes. She stared up at him but didn't say anything. Alistair reached for her hand and was surprised she didn't try to pull it away. He gently raised it to his lips and placed a kiss along her knuckles.

"First…let me apologize for the complete ass I was to you…it was uncalled for and I couldn't regret anything more than what I said to you. It was foolish and selfish of me to blame you for our…troubles. Please if you can, forgive me and my stupid self."

Bridget stared up at him. She noted the slight bags under his eyes and smiled slightly.

_Good…looks as if his conscious had indeed kept him awake._

She sat up a little and crossed her arms.

"I suppose I can forgive you…if you make it up to me somehow. You really did hurt my feelings, Alistair. Next time you should really think before you say something."

Alistair hung his head and nodded.

"I will, I promise you. And I intend to make up for it today. I'm going to spend the entire day with you, I've already planned everything."

Bridget smiled slightly and tipped her head to the side.

"And what have you planned for us?" she asked, curious.

Alistair smiled and stood, walking over to her dresser and returning with a silver tray.

"First off, breakfast in bed. Then we're going to go riding out in the fields until we get hungry again and we'll have a picnic out by the lake. After that well…it's up to you."

Bridget smiled and stared down at her breakfast that consisted of scrambled eggs and fruit. She ate while they chatted over a few things, sometimes she would feed Alistair an orange slice or two and he would always catch one of her fingers in his mouth and suck gently for a brief second before releasing it. Soon enough she had finished her meal and dressed in her riding clothes and she and Alistair had mounted their horses. They galloped out into the stretching fields, racing each other to the large oak tree that stood proudly in the distance, it's orange leaves falling one by one to join the others on the cold ground. Bridget grinned as she took in the area, noting all the beautiful colors of the trees, orange here, yellow there, a few green still and some were already barren of all leaves for winter. They chatted, laughed, pushed some leaves in a large pile and jumped in them together, giggling uncontrollably. As they laid amongst the now scattered leaves, Bridget turned and rested herself up against Alistair. She caressed the side of his face and kissed him deeply, her eyes fluttering shut as their tongues met and moved around each other slowly. Bridget broke the kiss and smiled as Alistair raised his hand and caressed the side of her face.

"I've missed this…just us with no worries, no problems…no potions." She whispered.

Alistair nodded.

"I've missed it too, my love. Because of all the work I've had and all the frustration we've felt…it's like we never really spent time together anymore…from here on out we're going to change that, I mean it."

Bridget smiled and snuggled up close to him.

"I love you, Alistair." She whispered softly, her breath tickling the side of his neck.

Alistair tightened his hold on her.

"I love you too, Bridget. It doesn't matter if we ever conceive or not. I will always love you. The Theirin bloodline will end with me if it has to, I don't care. As long as you are by my side, that's all that matters."

Bridget smiled, hoping that the Theirin bloodline wouldn't end with him, but took comfort in knowing that he would be alright with it if it did and they could never conceive. They went for a walk as their horses grazed in the grace and talked over a lot of things. Mostly, the conversation centered around Bridget's parents as she told Alistair some of the stories from back when she was a child…

"I just can't believe it will be a year tomorrow…it seems like this year has gone by so fast already. I miss them so much, but I am at peace with it. I admit I will cry I'm sure…but I know you'll be there to comfort me. I intended to spend the day with Fergus but since he's so occupied with Faye I think he may find himself elsewhere."

Alistair chuckled.

"Yes I noticed that those two have been spending a lot of time together lately. Do you think they're seeing each other?"

Bridget shrugged.

"Knowing Faye…I wouldn't doubt it. She was always sweet on Fergus when we were children. It can't last though, whatever they have because she'll have to go back to the Tower eventually…won't she?"

Alistair wrapped his arm around his wife and held her close.

"Maybe not. If I command her to stay on the pretense that she must look after you and our potential children then she'll have to. I don't think the Grand Cleric would go against my word, my command. Eamon probably wouldn't be happy about it but Faye is a good person, and she's your friend. I wouldn't mind at all if she stayed, especially if she's able to make Fergus happy."

Bridget smiled up at him.

"I would love it if she stayed. Not to change the subject but I'm getting a little hungry, could we have our picnic now?"

Alistair chuckled and nodded.

"Of course."

He walked over to the horse and removed the basket of food he had on the saddle and the blanket. Bridget held the basket whilst Alistair spread the blanket out across the cold ground. They sat after a moment and began to eat the rolls and chicken that was packed, sipping on the wine that Alistair slipped in as well.

"So…what do you intend to do after we eat?" Bridget asked.

Alistair tipped his head to the side.

"We could go riding again if you wish, but it's getting a little chilly out. It's up to you though, sweetheart."

Bridget thought for a moment.

"I am getting a little cold, and we are a little dirty from jumping in those leaves earlier. I guess we should head back and take a bath."

Alistair grinned.

"You know…the wash basin in our bedroom is large enough for two…"

Bridget chuckled and raised her eyebrows.

"Are you flirting with me, Majesty?" she asked.

Alistair looked into her eyes and finally, after many months of not seeing it, noticed that playful spark light them up once again.

"If I said I was…what would you think?" he replied.

Bridget moved closer to him and kissed his and trailed her lips up to his ear.

"I would be glad to share that large basin with you…my love." She whispered before flicking his earlobe with her tongue.

Alistair grinned and placed a soft kiss to her lips.

"Then let's not waste another moment!" he exclaimed.

They quickly finished their lunch and mounted their horses again, galloping back to the palace at a fairly fast pace. Upon arriving, Alistair asked a servant for some hot water to be put in the basin so he could bathe, and the servant hurried away to do just that. Bridget had turned to change out of her riding clothes, but Alistair lifted her into his arms and over his shoulder.

"I will take care of removing your clothes, my love, don't you worry." He stated.

Bridget chuckled and blushed as they made their way through the palace, servants and guards both whispering and giggling at seeing their king and queen so happy again. Soon enough they made it to their room and Alistair gently set Bridget back on her feet, kissing her heatedly as he did so. Eyeing the basin in the corner of the room and noting that it was already filled with water, Alistair wasted no time removing Bridget's clothes. He started with her jacket, fingers deftly unbuttoning the garment and tossed it behind him, not caring where it landed. Her corset (which Alistair was now a master at removing) flew across the room next followed by his shirt. Bridget's dress and shift pooled at her feet and she shimmied out of her small clothes as well. Alistair lifted her in his arms and walked over to the basin, slowing lowering her into the slightly steaming liquid. Bridget sighed happily as the warm liquid warmed her bones. Alistair poured some liquid into the water and smiled as bubbles started to form. He left her for a brief moment and then returned with a small stool. He sat on the stool and smiled at her. Bridget furrowed her brow.

"I thought you were coming in here with me." She stated.

Alistair chuckled and shook his head.

"Not just yet, let me see your foot."

Bridget rested her back against the basin and raised her leg slightly, enough to where her foot came out of the water. Alistair took it into his hands and gently rubbed the bottom of her foot, causing Bridget to sigh in pleasure.

"Oh Alistair you have no idea how good that feels." She breathed.

He smiled as he continued to rub her foot, but let one of his hands trail up her leg slightly. Bridget opened one eye and smiled at him, noticing he was trying mighty hard not to stare at her breasts. She grinned as a sly idea slipped into her head. She sat up a bit and cupped some of the water in her hands. She rubbed it over her neck and the back of her neck and then took a few of the suds in her hands and started rubbing them across her chest. When his hand stilled on her foot, she knew he was looking at her. Bridge innocently reached for the liquid soap and poured a little into her hands before returning them to her breasts, lathering them up in the soap. She moved them slowly, watching Alistair and smirking to herself.

"What are you doing?" he asked slowly.

Bridget looked up at him. She ran her thumbs on the underside of her breasts and then back up, her mounds standing at attention now from all of the rubbing she had been doing.

"I'm cleaning myself…what does it look like I'm doing?" she replied innocently.

Alistair swallowed.

"Something a lot less innocent." He stated.

Bridget shook her head and tsked.

"Oh my dear husband you have such a dirty mind, I am merely washing myself, that is all. Why would I touch myself when you could do that for me?" she purred.

Alistair's face flushed as he stood so fast the small stool he was sitting on fell backwards. He quickly removed his breeches and small clothes and eased himself into the basin, sitting in front of his wife. She moved towards him and straddled his waist as she poured the soap in her hands again, rubbing them together and then down Alistair's chest to lather it up as well. She claimed his mouth as she did that in a slow kiss, but it grew passionate before long. Alistair ran his hands over Bridget's back as their lips continued to move against each other's. Bridget moved her hips towards Alistair's to tease him and he groaned as her lower abdomen pushed up against his arousal. He broke the kiss and caressed the side of his face.

"I was wrong…this basin isn't big enough for us, let's move to the bed, shall we?" he said huskily.

Bridget bit her lip and nodded as he cupped some water in his hands and trickled it down her breasts. He did that a few times to remove the soap before he stood and grabbed a nearby towel. He only dried himself partly before he wrapped Bridget up in it, rubbing the soft fabric over her heated skin. Once he felt she was dry enough, Alistair dropped the towel and took her into his arms. He carried her to the bed and climbed atop it, placing her gently against the fur blankets. Alistair then pulled their sheer bed curtains closed, letting his gaze drift over his wife's body as he did so. He returned to her a moment later lowering himself to her open arms and kissing her with no inhibition…

After their coupling was over, Alistair held Bridget close to him as she had lulled herself to sleep. He gazed down at her and pushed some of her hair behind her ear. Alistair placed a soft kiss to her forehead and breathed in the scent of her hair. He closed his eyes and drew his brows together.

"Maker please…_please_ I beg you let us conceive from this night of passion…"

Alistair managed to fall asleep, hoping that the Maker had caught his prayer.

_xXx_

Two months later it was Satinalia once again. Alistair sat in the dining hall eating his breakfast, worrying why Bridget wasn't with him yet. She had been ill recently, running a slight fever and vomiting nearly everything she ate, and because of that Eamon forced her to sleep in her own room again for fear she had caught something contagious. Alistair was only allowed to see her every now and then, but it was never for very long because of the possibility that she was contagious. Just as he was about to go and see her again, he looked up to find her standing at the entrance of the dining hall, grinning broadly. Alistair swept his eyes over her and sighed happily. At long last the color finally returned to her cheeks. She wore a long red dress with gold thread sewn about it and looked absolutely radiant, beautiful…

One could even say that she was practically _glowing_…

Bridget walked towards him and hugged him tightly as he stood.

"Happy Satinalia my love!" she exclaimed.

Alistair chuckled.

"Happy Satinalia too you as well, it is good to see that you are well again, Bridget. I was getting really worried. Did Faye _finally_ cook something up to get you over the illness?"

Bridget nodded.

"Yes, yes I'm fine, Alistair…could you sit down, I'd like to give you one of your presents now."

Alistair raised his eyebrows as he looked at her.

"Bridget you're not considering…I mean…we're in the dining hall of all places…I understand we haven't been with each other for a while now because you were ill, but people eat in here!"

Bridget threw her head back and laughed.

"Not for _that_ Alistair! Just sit will you?"

Alistair did as she asked, still baffled by what she was going to give him. Bridget smiled and took a deep breath.

"Now I want you to know that this gift isn't something I could place in a box…nor can I wrap it up in gift paper. In fact…it's not even here yet…and it won't be for quite some time."

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"How long will it take?" he asked.

Bridget smiled.

"Oh I'd say about nine more months, give or take if everything goes as it should…"

Alistair gaped up at her.

"Nine months! That's an awful long time…why not just give it to me as a birthday gift…"

Alistair trailed off as his stomach clenched in excitement. He swallowed as realization slowly began to dawn on him. Alistair looked up at Bridget and blinked, a smile growing across his face.

"Bridget…are you…?"

Bridget took his hands in hers and placed them atop her stomach.

"Happy Satinalia…father to be."

Alistair was sure tears flooded his eyes before he stood and picked Bridget up in his arms. He spun them around in place for a bit while holding her tightly. He pulled back and kissed her deeply before breaking the kiss and letting out a shaky breath as a tear of happiness rolled down his cheek. Bridget drew her brows together and smiled as she wiped away his tear.

"This is the best gift I could ever ask for, my love." He whispered.

Bridget grinned and kissed him again, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Alistair kissed her back, rubbing his hands over her back.

"Hey, hey calm down now!"

They broke their kiss and turned to see Faye and Fergus walking towards them.

"No dipping the candlewick into the oil until I say it's okay, alright?" she asked.

Alistair and Bridget both blushed.

"You really need to work on how you word things, Faye." Bridget giggled.

Faye shrugged.

"Well I figured that'd be better than just coming out and saying it. Until I say so you're just going to have to get reacquainted with good ole' righty." She said, talking to Alistair, who choked on his sip of water and ended up spitting it out.

"Faye!" Bridget exclaimed.

Faye held up her hands.

"That wasn't even my line! Fergus told me to say it!"

Bridget cut her eyes at Fergus and crossed her arms.

"I know you didn't make that up yourself." She stated.

Before Fergus could say anything everyone turned at the sound of hearing a throat clear and grinned to see Zevran, Leliana, Oghren and Zeus standing by the doorway.

"No, no that was my line! Glad to see someone finally got to use it!" Zevran exclaimed.

Bridget and Alistair grinned and hurried towards their friends who had gone back to their own lives recently and hadn't been in the palace for quite some time.

"Fergus sent us all letters letting us know of the good news! Congratulations both of you!" she exclaimed.

Alistair looked confused.

"How'd you find out before I did?"

Faye answered for him.

"Bridget and I knew for some time now that she was with child, but she wanted to wait to tell you on Satinalia."

Bridget turned to him and smiled.

"I thought it would be more special that way." She stated.

Alistair grinned and took her in his arms. With their child along the way and their friends back together again, nothing at all would dampen his mood. The Satinalia celebration went off wonderfully well, but, as bad as it sounded to wish almost an entire year away, that's what he wanted. He couldn't wait to hold his child in his arms!

But there would be one more surprise that neither Alistair nor Bridget suspected…

**A/N: **_Oh you guys just wait…I have a BIG surprise for you next chapter! Now if you haven't, look on my profile and read my latest update just so you can be aware of what's going on up here. Because of the strict ratings rule, it's likely that this fic might be removed, one of my friend's fics was removed just for language in the summary. The update I posted will tell you more though, so go and check that out if you haven't already! Thanks again to all of you for all of your wonderful reviews! And as always thank you for reading and adding this story to your favs/alerts! I'll try and have the next chapter up asap! I'm serious guys prepare yourself…BIG SURPRISE NEXT CHAPTER! :D_


	63. Epilogue: The Best Gift

Epilogue

The Best Gift

It seemed like before Bridget got pregnant that the months went by rather quickly, but now that she was pregnant…they were going by at an agonizingly slow pace. All Alistair wanted was for the months to go by as quickly as possible so he could hold his baby in his arms…but the months seemed to tick by at the rate of a snail's pace. It was interesting seeing Bridget go through certain cravings though. At one point she wanted nothing but mashed potatoes, and another all she could eat was cheese. Then she eventually combined both of them together. She also had an inkling for quailed eggs and ate those quite a bit, which Eamon considered a good sign as an old wives tale mentioned that the craving for quailed eggs signified a boy, was on the way.

Around her fourth month, Alistair noticed that Bridget's stomach was rather…large. Now given he did not have much experience with pregnant women…but he figured that their stomachs were not quite as large as Bridget's…at least not in their fourth month. He opted to ask Zevran about it.

"I don't know…she's just rather…larger than I would expect."

Zevran quickly grabbed Alistair and pulled him into the nearby room and shut the door. He gaped at his friend and shook his head.

"Are you saying she's fat?" he asked.

Alistair quickly shook his head.

"No! It's just…are women in their fourth month that large? She looks like she's nearing the birth date!"

Zevran shook his head and sighed.

"Alistair…be _very_ careful with how you word anything regarding Bridget's size. She's sensitive…and my guess is with her hormones all over the place anyway, she may actually do something to harm you in a fit of rage. Why are you even asking me this anyway? I have no experience with pregnant women!" he exclaimed.

Alistair sighed, guessing that it was probably a long shot that Zevran did know anything and decided if he could get Faye alone, he would ask her. He and Bridget sat in her room later that night as Faye moved her glowing hands over Bridget's stomach.

She grinned.

"Everything's on the up and up…but you have a very shy baby, it won't open it's legs!"

Bridget chuckled.

"I guess they got that from their father, the shyness I mean."

Faye nodded, but furrowed her brow slightly as she moved her hands over her stomach again. Bridget bit her lip.

"Is everything alright?" she asked worriedly.

Faye looked back to her and nodded.

"Oh yes, I just thought I felt something else…but I think it was just your baby moving around in there. Everything's good."

Bridget and Alistair both sighed in relief. Faye doused her magic and patted Bridget's stomach before she stood from the stool she occupied and walked over to her desk.

"You're good for another month now. Maybe next month we'll be able to determine the sex."

Bridget chuckled and, with Alistair's help, stood from the chair.

"Thank you, Faye. I need to go and make sure Leliana hasn't ordered any new baby clothes from Orlais…the child isn't even here yet and it's already got more clothes than I do!"

Alistair grinned as he watched Bridget half walk half wobble to the door.

"I'll catch up with you in just a minute, my love." He stated.

Bridget nodded and exited the room. Alistair turned to Faye and smiled.

"Thank you for everything, Faye. You've been a great help."

Faye nodded.

"It's been a pleasure, Alistair. Actually I'm glad you stayed, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

Alistair looked at her.

"For all you have done for Bridget and I, anything you ask will be seen to, I promise."

Faye shook her head.

"You haven't heard what I'm about to ask though, so don't say that just yet. Here, you can sit there."

Alistair sat in the chair Faye motioned to and looked around her room briefly while she was putting away some of her things. One could definitely tell a mage had taken up shelter in here for there were magical tomes lying all about the place. Potions and ingredients were scattered across the nearby table, as were other assorted vials. Faye plopped down in the chair behind her desk and took a sip of the tea she had brewed earlier. Alistair could smell the herbs in it.

"I'm just going to get straight to the point…I'm sure you know Fergus and I have been seeing each other recently?"

Alistair smiled slightly.

"Yes, Bridget and I guessed you had been."

Faye nodded.

"Well…I'll be going back to the Tower soon, once the baby's here and all and you won't need me anymore…but I really don't know if I can leave Fergus…I mean…I knew it wasn't the best idea when we did start sneaking around but I've grown to…care for him…deeply and I…I can't bear the thought of being without him."

Alistair furrowed his brow.

"So…you want me to see if you can stay with him?" he asked.

Faye raised her eyebrows.

"Well…in a sense, yes. You see, noblemen take on mages as advisors all the time and…well I was thinking that maybe if you put your word in there, considering you are the king and all that…well…I could 'advise' Fergus and stay with him at Highever. No one would ever have to know that there are things going on behind locked doors." She explained.

Alistair nodded.

"Yes but…what about children? I know Fergus expressed some want in having more some time ago…but if you are a mage then won't the child likely inherit traces of magic?"

Faye held up her hands.

"Easy now, I'm not saying I'm going to marry him or anything, that'd be impossible, I think. I'm happy enough with just being his mistress if it comes to that. I know he'll have to get married eventually for appearances and having a child…but I'm fine with the idea of being his mistress. I will know the only reason he will marry is so he can have a child, he probably won't even love his 'wife'. That might sound cold to you, but I'm a practical person, I know how these things work. His wife could take a lover, too. In the end, everyone's happy."

Alistair was quiet for a moment, mulling things over in his head as he tried to process all he had just heard. Faye was indeed practical; one couldn't say she wasn't that. He would do anything to ensure Fergus's happiness, knowing that Bridget too would be happy for her brother. He smiled.

"I'll get on that right away, Faye. I can see how deeply Fergus cares for you and you for him. I wish there was a way you could marry."

Faye shrugged.

"As do I but…I don't need a ring on my finger to tell me that he loves me. Thank you, Alistair…I mean that."

Alistair nodded and smiled. He cleared his throat and then went on to ask his question.

"May I ask you something?"

Faye bowed her head to him.

"Sure."

Alistair blushed slightly.

"I admit I'm not very well rounded when it comes to pregnant women but I was wondering if…"

Faye shook her head.

"No, you still can't lay with Bridget. I swear you ask me that every time I see you."

Alistair's flush deepened slightly as he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Ah no…that's not what I was going to ask…do I really ask you that a lot?"

Faye nodded.

"Indeed, I've even started keeping track. For your sake I won't disclose the number." She replied as she sipped her tea again.

Alistair looked down into his lap.

"Err…thanks for that. Anyway I was just wondering…um…is it normal for Bridget's stomach to be quite so large for only four months?"

Faye took a deep breath and settled her elbows on her desk and her chin on her hands.

"Not normally, no…but it could be possible depending on her diet. I know she's craving cheese right now, and that'll definitely make her gain some weight as cheese isn't the healthiest thing around. Are you asking me if you think she's carrying more than one baby?"

Alistair nodded.

"Yes, is it possible she is?" he asked slowly, sitting on the edge of his seat.

Faye rested her back against her chair and pulled out a smoking stick. She lit it and put it to her lips, taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly.

"May I be blunt?" she asked.

Alistair chuckled.

"Are you ever anything else?"

Faye grinned and laughed softly.

"I suppose not, no. Anyways if she is pregnant with more than one child then you, sir, will have sperm of pure gold."

Faye laughed again as Alistair's face darkened to a deep shade of crimson. She shook her head and calmed herself, taking another puff from her stick.

"In all seriousness though, I only detect a single heartbeat when I check her. If there _is_ another baby in there…it may be that it is turned in a position where I can't detect the heartbeat or something…worse. Honestly though I think there's only one. Sorry to disappoint you."

Alistair shook his head.

"Not at all, I'm glad you answered my question, though. I'm scared to my wits end about fathering one child, but twins? I'm not sure how I would manage that." He chuckled.

Faye nodded, but tipped her head to the side.

"Now we should never rule out the possibility that there is another baby, after all those potions were pretty strong…but my professional opinion says that there's only one."

Alistair stood.

"Thank you, Faye. I'll see to it that your request is seen to as soon as possible."

Faye smiled and bowed her head towards him again.

"Thank you, Majesty. Now I think I'll record today's checkup and then take a nice nap. See you soon."

Alistair smiled and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Although Faye had reassured him several times that only one baby grew in Bridget's stomach…Alistair still had this _feeling_ that that wasn't the case. He decided not to dwell on it, however and set out for his office, thinking over how to word his letter to the Circle of Magi as well as the Grand Cleric.

Later that night, Alistair laid in his bed reading over a scroll that Eamon encouraged him to read…something about names for a baby boy, noting that he should give his son a good, strong name. The man had utterly convinced himself that Bridget was pregnant with a boy all because of that one craving she had. Their bedroom door opened and Bridget waddled slightly into the room, carrying a small plate of cookies. Alistair smiled.

"A new craving?" he asked.

Bridget nodded her mouth full of the sweet treat. She swallowed and turned to him.

"Eamon's scared now since apparently mine eating cookies is a sign that we have a daughter along the way. I swear that man and his old wives tales are going to drive me insane!"

Alistair chuckled and laid the scroll on the end table.

"You're not the only one; he's got me reading a bunch of names and their meanings for a boy."

Bridget chuckled and reached behind her before sighing.

"Can you unbutton the back of my dress, darling? I need to get comfortable…my feet are quite sore."

Alistair nodded and stood, closing the space between them quickly and began sliding the buttons of her dress out of their fastenings. Once that was done he slowly slid the garment off of her shoulders, and tugged it over her belly so it pooled at her feet. Alistair then nuzzled the crook of her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist, letting his hands roam her protruding stomach. Bridget sighed happily and rested her back against his chest.

"I've missed being in your arms." She whispered softly.

Alistair placed his lips against her neck, trailing them to her shoulder and back up again.

"I've missed having you there…ugh I can't wait till I can lay with you again…" he mumbled against her skin.

The corners of Bridget's mouth twitched up into a smile.

"It will be difficult…and I don't think it will be very pleasant as I'll have my belly still…having you atop me may hurt…"

Alistair slowly ran his hands upwards towards Bridget's breasts and gently cupped them in his hands. Bridget sucked in a breath and lulled her head back. Her breasts were extremely sensitive due to her pregnant state…and having Alistair rub them was enough to make her toes curl.

"Then we'll just have to have you atop me then, won't we?" he whispered against her ear.

Bridget flushed slightly and bit her lip.

"Alistair…we can't do this, not now…we might hurt the baby…"

After a long moment Alistair nodded and sighed. He released her breasts, but turned her around and tilted her face up to look at him. He claimed her mouth in a slow, romantic kiss before breaking it and whispered,

"Then I shall leave you be…for now, but the moment Faye allows us to lay together again, don't think you'll find yourself anywhere else in the castle but here." He stated.

Bridget chuckled and hugged him tightly.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." She mumbled into his chest.

A second later Alistair felt something move across his stomach and jumped back slightly as Bridget gave a startled gasp. She grinned a moment later and placed her hands on her stomach.

"What was that?" Alistair asked frantically.

Bridget took his hands in hers and placed them on her stomach.

"The baby kicked!" she exclaimed.

Alistair's eyes widened as his gaze traveled to his hands. Sure enough just a few minutes later he felt either a foot or an elbow poke out from inside Bridget's womb. Bridget giggled as she felt the baby move a couple of more times.

"Feisty thing isn't it?" she mused.

Alistair chuckled and nodded.

"If this child is not a boy, it's going to be a fierce girl…much like her mother. Honestly though if we do have a daughter and she's anything like you, we're going to have our hands full."

Bridget looked up at him and smirked.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

Alistair grinned.

"As you should, my love."

He lowered his face to hers and kissed her once again, only to receive another kick beneath his hand.

"Oh come now little one, allow me and your mother to kiss at least." He laughed.

Bridget giggled and kissed Alistair sweetly one last time.

"I think it's time you and I were off to bed." She stated.

Alistair nodded.

"Agreed, provided this one will let you sleep."

They both walked over to their large, four poster bed and pulled back the sheets, crawling in and settling themselves against the pillows. Alistair rolled to his side and draped his arm across Bridget's stomach. She turned her head towards him and grinned.

"Just a little while longer, my love. I can't wait till the birth! Though Faye has assured me it won't be very pleasant on my part…'expect a lot of screaming' she said…but it will all be worth it in the end."

Alistair kissed her again once more.

"Indeed it certainly will." He mumbled against her lips.

_xXx_

The months continued to trickle by slowly and Bridget's stomach grew with each passing month. Now they were in Harvestmere once again, and the birth date was right around the corner. Faye had recently returned from her trip to Highever 'advising' Fergus on a few things. Luckily, Alistair was able to see to it that she could be placed in that position…the Grand Cleric profusely argued against it at first, but after a large donation to the Chantry, she was able to eventually agree to it, making Fergus the second happiest man in all of Fereldan (as Alistair was the first). One cool evening, Bridget sat at the dining table with Alistair next to her. Zevran and Leliana as well as Teagan and Eamon were in the room. Oghren shuffled in carrying a mug of ale as Zeus and Lola trotted next to him, their three puppies following behind them. Bridget took her goblet in her hands and took a sip of water before she dropped her goblet and winced as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Immeidately everyone's eyes turned to her and Alistair stood.

"Bridget, are you,"

She nodded.

"The baby….it's coming _now_!"

She looked up at Alistair to see all the color drain from his face. Zevran sprinted away to alert Faye as Alistair and Teagan helped Bridget to her feet. She winced again and doubled over as she felt a rush of water escape her and flood down her legs.

"Oh dear Maker is that normal?" Teagan asked worriedly.

Bridget nodded.

"Yes…ooh I need to lie down, Alistair!" she shouted.

Alistair (with a great help from Teagan) lifted Bridget into his arms and hurried down the hall and up the stairs. Upon reaching their room, Faye was already there laying down towels and placing pillows in the middle of the bed.

"Right, someone get her out of that dress, Alistair you may stay but I need everyone else to leave, except Leliana, I need you here to wash the baby once it's delivered."

Zevran apologized before taking his dagger and cutting the back of Bridget's dress as it was the quickest way to get her out of it. Alistair picked her up again and laid her gently to the bed.

"Prop her bottom up on those pillows, I need to see what's going on down there and for the sake of the Maker Teagan will you get out of here!"

Teagan quickly obliged and left the room to join Zevran and the others who were waiting worriedly outside. Faye placed a sheet over Bridget so she wasn't completely exposed to the room and went to work on checking her.

"Oh Bridget you've got a long way to go…this is just the beginning…you're not even five centimeters yet."

Bridget closed her eyes and sighed wincing again as she felt another spasm. Alistair held onto her hand and brushed some of her hair away from her face.

"Are you scared?" he asked softly.

Bridget shook her head.

"No, I killed an Arch Demon…how hard could this be?" she replied.

Faye shook her head.

"It's not pleasant in the least, Bridget. Getting injured in battle is not the same as having something the size of a watermelon squeeze out of you. They are two completely different types of pain."

Bridget frowned.

"What a lovely visual…thanks for that."

Faye shrugged.

"I'm just telling you to prepare yourself, that's all. I can't give you anything as it may interfere with the birth itself…here I've got a piece of bark you can bite down on if need be."

Faye handed the piece of bark to Alistair who set it on the nearby end table. Minutes eventually slipped into hours of Bridget feeling spasms, even vomiting once, as the baby continued to descend down her womb. Eventually Faye gave the okay for her to begin pushing. Bridget drew her brows together and bent her legs up, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She clasped Alistair's hand and squeezed it tightly as she clenched her eyes shut and pushed. Alistair, however failed to count to ten aloud causing Faye to round on him.

"Alistair you're supposed to be counting! If you're not going to make yourself useful get out!"

Alistair apologized profusely and the next time Bridget pushed he counted to ten like he was supposed to. Seeing her in so much pain was hard for him. Although she didn't scream, she groaned and grunted a lot and by the look on her face he could tell that nothing about this was comfortable at all. Her brow was slick with sweat and her face was red from the force of her pushes.

Faye shook her head.

"Nothing yet, Alistair hold her thigh back and see if that'll help."

Alistair did as he was told and as Bridget pushed again, he was able to see the top of their baby's head protrude out.

Faye grinned.

"Alright now we're getting somewhere, you're finally crowning! If you can pass the shoulders then the rest will be easy." She said.

Bridget swallowed and clenched Alistair's hand again; clenching her teeth and pushing with all the effort she had left. Alistair watched in awe as the baby exited Bridget and entered the world. He felt a tear roll down his cheek as the baby let out a loud wail. Faye grinned.

"Looks like you've got yourself a little prince!" she exclaimed.

Alistair turned to Bridget to find her grinning and crying, happy and relieved the birth was finally over at last. Leliana (after Alistair severed the umbilical cord) took the baby boy in her arms and headed for the wash basin to clean him up. Alistair chuckled, his son looked like a little squealing piglet! He couldn't be happier.

Faye moved her hands across Bridget's stomach and her eyes widened.

"Oh shit!"

"What? What!" Bridget exclaimed.

Faye looked up at her and Alistair.

"There's another baby in there!" she shouted.

Alistair's jaw dropped as Bridget's eyes widened.

"T-twins?" she asked in surprise.

Faye nodded and moved her hands around Bridget's stomach, checking for more surprise babies. She grinned.

"Just the one in there, alright let me see if I can get it to move down."

Faye worked her magic as Bridget readied herself to push again. Alistair, still stunned by the fact that he was now the father of twins didn't even here Leliana as she approached him. She cleared her throat again and he shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. Leliana grinned as she handed Alistair his son. He took his baby into his arms and had the biggest smile spread itself across his face. The baby eventually stopped crying and slowly opened his eyes. Alistair let out a shaky sob of happiness as he stared into his sons eyes that were a beautiful crystal blue color...just like his mother's.

"Baby number two incoming, get ready Bridget and push real hard."

Alistair gently handed Leliana his baby boy so he could hold Bridget's hand again as she pushed a final time. He watched again in awe as his second child entered the world…

"Ooh looks like we have a princess!" Faye exclaimed.

Bridget sat back against the pillows, completely and utterly exhausted, but smiling and crying none the less. Leliana washed her up as well as Faye took care of tiding Bridget up. Leliana carried their daughter to Bridget while Alistair took their son in his arms once more. Bridget placed a kiss to both of their foreheads as she managed to hold them both. Alistair had a finger resting next to his daughter's hand. She wrapped her tiny hand around the tip of his finger. Alistair looked at her to find himself staring into a mirror's image of his own eyes.

"Oh Alistair…they're so beautiful!" Bridget exclaimed, tears still falling from her eyes.

Alistair stared at their babies and knew from that moment on they both had him wrapped around their tiny fingers. He would do anything in the world for them and wouldn't think twice about it.

"What shall we name them?" he asked as he took his daughter in his arms.

Bridget smiled down at their son and giggled as he wrapped a hand around her finger as well.

"Duncan Bryce for our son…in their memory." She whispered softly.

Alistair swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded as new tears sprung to his eyes.

"Duncan Bryce Theirin…has a nice ring to it!" he exclaimed.

Bridget chuckled and looked at him.

"For our daughter…I'd like to name her Eleanor after my mother…but I believe we will call her by her middle name."

Alistair nodded.

"Which is?"

Bridget smiled.

"Rose…since that was the flower you gave me when you pretty much confessed how you felt for me."

Alistair grinned and stared down into the sweet face of his daughter.

"Rose…Princess Rose…she will be a heartbreaker for sure, not that I mind. She's not going to marry until she's at least twenty five."

Bridget snorted and shook her head.

"If she's anything like me she's going to be a real spitfire." She stated.

Alistair chuckled.

"Yes I'm sure she'll be the cause of my hair turning grey. No doubt our son will have his misadventures as well."

Bridget laughed and snuggled him close.

"No doubt at all…do you want to get the others?"

Alistair nodded and gently returned Rose to her mother's arms. He stood and looked over his shoulder to watch Bridget coo and snuggle with them and realized that in that moment, despite her hair looking frazzled and partially damp with sweat, despite the tired look to her red face…seeing her holding their babies in her arms…in that moment she was the most beautiful thing Alistair had ever seen. He walked over to the door and poked his head out to find his friends all eagerly waiting for him.

"You'll never believe it…we have twins!" he exclaimed.

Everyone jumped up into the air and cheered. Oghren snickered and slapped Alistair on the back of his leg.

"Twins eh? Didn't think you had it in you, Chantry boy. Way to go!"

Alistair blushed bashfully as he walked back in the room, their friends following him. Zevran proved to be really well with children as Duncan and Rose cried when anyone else held them except for him and their parents. Eventually the others left one by one as the babies got fussier, knowing it was probably because they were hungry. Once Zevran left, Bridget took to feeding Duncan first as he was crying the most. She brushed the little sprigs of honey hued hair he had as she fed him.

"I think he might grow up to be a breast man too." Alistair noted.

Bridget chuckled.

"It certainly seems that way." She replied as Duncan just didn't want to unlatch himself from his mother. Eventually he did and she and Alistair switched babies as Alistair patted Duncan's back and Bridget fed Rose.

Bridget sighed happily, her eyes drifting shut. After she fed Rose she went right to sleep. Duncan and Rose did as well as Alistair laid them each in their own cradle. He then joined Bridget on the bed and wrapped his arm securely around her as he, too drifted off into a deep sleep.

That didn't last very long, though.

Alistair's eyes slowly opened as a baby's cry tore through the air. He sat up as did Bridget, but gently pushed her back to the bed.

"I'll go." He whispered.

Bridget smiled at him as Alistair stood and walked over to the cradles. Duncan was out like a light, but Rose was crying, moving her arms and legs slightly. Alistair lifted her up into his arms and held her close, rocking her back and forth in his arms while whispering a lullaby. Rose calmed down and stared up at him as he continued to sing softly…off key but no one had to know that. Bridget stood and slowly walked over towards them as well. She took Duncan into her arms as he woke up as well and cradled him, joining Alistair in singing the lullaby. They both smiled as their children's eyes fluttered closed slowly and they both eventually drifted off to sleep. Alistair and Bridget returned them to their cradles and watched them sleep soundlessly. He wrapped his arm around Bridget's shoulders and pulled her close.

"I think we did right good, don't you my love?"

Bridget smiled and looked up at him. Her eyes sparkled in the faint candlelight.

"We did better than good, we did great." She whispered softly.

Alistair grinned and turned to her. He lowered his lips to hers and claimed them in a slow kiss. Bridget kissed him back completely and utterly content.

All her life Bridget never thought she would take up arms and defend her homeland. Even though she got to, the circumstances could have been better…but she now realized that if Howe had never betrayed her parents she would have never met Alistair, never met her friends, never fallen in love with the most wonderful man in all of Thedas…and she certainly would not be the mother to two glorious, beautiful, adorable babies.

Although she wished her parents were alive to see her now, she knew they were beaming down on her from above…and she was happy with that.

She and Alistair had managed to unite a land, had saved their home, and had slain an Arch Demon…they had been through the ups and downs of trying to conceive a child but had managed that, too.

Now however, an even greater task stood before them…

Parenthood…and that alone would be the greatest adventure she and Alistair would face yet.

**A/N:** _Well you guys, with this chapter The Last of the Couslands is complete. Thank you all so, SO much for reading and reviewing and adding this story to your favs/alerts! I cannot tell you what a privilege it has been writing Bridget's story and hearing your thoughts! Thank you all so much and I do hope you enjoyed the final chapter! I'm not too sure when I'll upload another story as I am going to begin working on an original one of my own, but if that doesn't work out I'll be back with a new story for all of you! :) I so hope you've enjoyed the entire story and thank you all once again for your support! I love you all! :)_

_~MistressofMagic7 _

_**Actually you know what guys, scratch that. I've been doing some thinking and I think I'm going to just stick to fanfiction for now! Expect either a Dragon Age II or a Mass Effect fanfic coming your way soon! :)_


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